Heir to the Demon
by DaenerysFireAndBlood
Summary: Malcolm Merlyn was the cause of Oliver's grief and pain after the undertaking. Seeking revenge Oliver goes to Nanda Parbat and joins the League of Shadows hell bent on making Merlyn pay. Turning into Ra's Al Ghul's favorite protégé and falling in love with Ra's youngest daughter... Felicity Al Ghul; Heir to the Demon. Olicity AU (with a badass Felicity)
1. Chapter 1

**So many of you will know me from my other story &amp;Arrow: The Story of Us&amp; Well this is an all new fanfic for Olicity. This one will be a little different, mostly because this isn't going to be set in Starling… aaaand Felicity will be a little more badass than usual… well because Felicity won't be an IT girl she'll be a highly trained ninja from the league of Shadows… oh and yeah she's going to be Ra's Al Ghul's youngest daughter! I had this crazy idea ever since Ra's Al Ghul was introduced in 3x02.**

**This is completely AU and there will be characters that are going to be OOC, just a heads up. I really hope you guys like this. I've been planning this for at least 2 weeks now. So enjoy!**

**DISCLAIMER**** I DO NOT OWN ARROW OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THEY BELONG TO THE CW/WARNER BROTHERS AND DC COMICS. I JUST OWN MY IMAGINATION.**

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Prologue:

Nanda Parbat…

Oliver's heard stories about the seemingly mythological city; a city that housed a cult. A cult of highly trained killers that moved swiftly, striking, killing in the Shadows…. The league of Assassins. Oliver never listened though, he never gave into the rumors that such a city existed. That was, until Malcolm Merlyn.

That name made Oliver's blood boil with hatred and rage. Malcolm Merlyn, after the death of his wife, disappeared for years leaving his only son, Tommy in Starling. No one knew what had happened to Malcolm, not until he returned years later. He'd told Oliver of his association with the League. Told him how they trained him to be the killer he was, trained him to seek justice on those who had wronged him. Told him how he had ran away from the League so that he could exercise his own twisted form of justice.

Malcolm was known as The Dark Archer, but to Oliver he'd forever be known as the man who caused his family's death.

Merlyn's plan to destroy the Glades with his man-made earthquake had taken the lives of many, including the only remaining family he had left.

Oliver was determined to avenge his family. So as Oliver stood outside the large doors of Nanda Parbat's fortified city, he vowed once again that Malcolm would pay... In full.

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Chapter 1:

Oliver stood outside two large stone double doors, biding his time. It had taken him two days to find the well hidden city of Nanda Parbat. The walls outside, tall enough to hide the large mansion in the center. Now he stood inside said mansion waiting for the notorious Demon's head. Looking at the intricate details of the sandstone doors, as he waited.

There were two men standing still beside them, guarding. The lower half of their faces covered, much like Merlyn's, so the only thing he was able to see were the hard, almost dead look in their eyes.

He stood there staring straight ahead, he was focused. He was pissed, he was for lack of better words; determined.

The only thing, the only people Oliver had left behind in Starling had been Diggle and Tommy. His two best friends. Leaving was difficult, but he had a lust for revenge that only killing his best friend's dad would quench. Sounded so twisted, but the man had brought it upon himself. Merlyn for all the pain and suffering he went through with the death of his wife, was nothing compared to the grief he bestowed on the city of Starling. On the thousandths of people he hurt.

He was here because he knew the League would help him kill that son of a bitch. He wasn't strong enough to beat Malcolm on his own, he needed to be trained by the man that trained Malcolm. The enemy of my enemy... That's all that Oliver cared about; killing him.

He had been parading around Starling as a vigilante in a hood, supposedly serving justice to those who were out spreading ill will towards his city. Righting the wrongs of his father. Truth was the only thing he was doing was fighting the symptoms not the actual sickness. He had failed his city, he had failed his family, and he had failed himself.

Oliver's thoughts were interrupted as he heard the loud creaks of the stoned double doors being opened. There a few feet behind the threshold he saw a young woman that looked only about a few years older than he was. She was wearing red and black leather gear, Oliver noticed a quiver strapped to her back. She must be an archer as well, he thought. She had long brunette hair and deep brown set eyes. Beautiful in a foreign other-worldly kind of way. She was the untouchable, the unattainable type of beauty.

She had her hands firmly by her side starring up at him. "I am Nyssa Al Ghul, second heir to the Demon. What is your purpose here?" She asked with a heavy accent.

"I'm Oliver Queen, and I'm here to speak to Ra's Al Ghul, regarding the Dark Archer." Oliver said, tasting vile as he said Merlyn's name.

"Malcolm Merlyn." She stated in a knowing tone.

"Yes, so I need to speak to Ra's Al Ghul. Malcolm Merlyn has killed innocent lives." Oliver snapped, his body heating with rage.

The woman gave a curt nod and turned without another word, he knew what that meant; he was to follow. They walked into a large, high ceiling room with windows pouring orange light. The walls all made of elegant stone. They stopped in front of an alter that had a large wooden throne. He glanced around quickly taking in his surroundings and saw more league members standing by. That's when he saw movement behind the wooden throne, to a man standing from a circular stone tub, water pouring from his body.

Immediately Oliver knew, the way the eyes of everyone in the room looked upon the middle aged man, it was the infamous Ra's Al Ghul.

He saw from his peripheral, Nyssa bowing down, looking at the ground in front of her. "Father, Oliver Queen is here to speak with you about Merlyn."

She finished speaking, but he still wouldn't bow, he owed nothing to these people... yet.

One of the assassin's suddenly pulled his sword and pushed it up against Oliver's throat. "Kneel!&amp; The man demanded. Oliver stayed put glaring at the assassin pointing the sword at him.

"Sarab! It is quite alright, please be kind to our guest." The man lowered his sword and backed off going back to his post in a matter of seconds, when the booming voice echoed through the room.

Oliver's skin crawled at the sound of the Ra's' voice. It sounded like a shadow, dark and low. A sound that automatically commanded respect; laced with authority. Oliver looked ahead watching as Ra's walked out of the tub, already in a black robe.

Oliver just continued to stand, his hands behind his back. The legendary head of the Demon only smirked, giving Oliver a knowing look, before the middle-aged man looked at his daughter.

"Nyssa, go, leave us!"

"Yes father." Nyssa answered, without looking up, she turned and walked out of the room leaving. Oliver was now left alone with the man they called the Demon's Head, and his highly trained assassin's, though Oliver stayed stoic and unemotional. He wasn't scared, if anything he was indifferent. All Oliver wanted was revenge. "So you know the Dark Archer?" The voice echoed against the walls.

"I do."

"Well?" He walked up to Oliver, finally seeing the man Merlyn feared so deeply, up close. He didn't look a day over 50; he was largely built wearing a black robe with gold embellishments and large rings on his fingers. This man had the face of a man with years worth of wisdom. His eyes also looked cold… too cold.

"I want him dead." Oliver said his face still a hard mask.

"You're in luck Emerald Archer, because I too want Malcolm Merlyn dead."

Oliver gasped a bit, finally caught off-guard. "How do you-"

"Know that you're an archer? One who wears green and uses the night and it's shadows to kill off those who have wronged you?"

Oliver only nodded his mouth in a tight line.

"I know all things that go bump in the night Oliver Queen. I have eyes and ears everywhere. Like shadows the league is everywhere, and Malcolm has broken codes. And I want him dead just as much as you do."

"Then help me, help me kill Malcolm Merlyn. Help me train." Oliver said quickly with dangerous determination, his stoic stance breaking.

Oliver saw Ra's give him a hard look, as if he were calculating. Ra's started to walk back and forth his arms now behind him. Oliver just looked at him, his eyes following the man pacing around.

It seemed like hours until Ra's finally addressed Oliver once more. "I vowed I'd take no more broken men after the last time, but I will personally help you kill him, I will train you. BUT you must join the league, and in return you will get your revenge."

Oliver's body froze… join the league? Permanently? He wasn't planning on this, wasn't expecting it. "Join the league?" Oliver asked cautiously.

"Yes join the League of Shadows Oliver Queen; I could use a man like you. Merlyn; he broke codes… vows that can never be broken once a member. This league exists to seek justice on those who do wrong. To get rid of evil with death, and Malcolm Merlyn is evil."

Oliver thought about it… what did he have to lose? He had already lost his family. He had already said his goodbyes to both Tommy and Diggle. All he wanted now after years of turmoil was to kill the man that had taken everything from him.

Ra's spoke up again. "I have no other ulterior motive Queen. I think of myself as an honorable man, one who is willing to do whatever it takes to defend my family. I see that in you, you are determined to avenge your family. I know it is a family member you lost, because the look in your eyes is one of a mad man with a lust for revenge, one who has lost everything. I admire that lust, I admire your determination to rid the world of a man like Merlyn."

Oliver was motionless for a second. He continued to think about it… He'd be trained by one of the most dangerous men on earth and he'd get his revenge… just like that Oliver's mind was decided. "Ok. I'll join the League, but when the time comes I want to be the one to put my Arrows through Merlyn's heart."

Ra's smiled the most menacing smile Oliver had ever seen. "It's a deal…. Oliver Queen, Emerald Archer I hereby welcome you to the League of Shadows." Ra's smiled a wicked smile, his arms spreading out as a gesture of welcome.

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Oliver walked with hands behind his back, following Ra's through the halls of the mansion where he was now going to reside in. Ra's had offered a room in his personal home for Oliver. They'd been walking for half an hour looking at the private dojos in his home, some that were off limits to low ranking assassins, those had to be trained in the other buildings in the city.

He looked around and saw a large courtyard in the middle of four connected hallways. There were men practicing, and some standing off to the sides. They moved like water, so swiftly and gracefully yet striking hard and surely, much like that of a snakes attack. He was mesmerized, the sun was beginning to set and they all cast dark shadows like that of their outfits. Their faces like many he had seen before, were covered… only their eyes showing.

"These are my warriors, Oliver Queen. My most prized warriors. They are my elite core of assassin's."

Oliver continued to watch the scene in front of him. There was a woman standing beside Nyssa across the other side of the courtyard, watching the single figure in the middle fight off at least five different men at the same time.

The woman next to Nyssa looked older. She had light brown hair contrasting with that of the other, her eyes a dark brown like Nyssa's. She wore brown leather gear, but instead of bows as her weapon of choice it seemed she preferred the Katana.

"That is Talia my first born." Ra's voiced next to him, watching the fight in front of him.

_So that was the Demon's heir number one… how many daughters did Ra's have?_

Oliver averted his eyes and continued to watch as the person in the middle holding a double-edged sword fought off the other assassin's. His movements were quick, and sure, he was also a lot smaller and lean then the other's. The guy was impressive to say the least.

The small man in the middle, with his sword, hit one of the other ninja's sword knocking it out of his hand and elbowing him in the chest sending him down to the ground in a heap.

The assassin in the middle continued to fight each one of the other men, until he was putting the last one on the ground. Oliver heard the sound of two large hands coming together in a clap.

"Well done, my Felicity!" Ra's said in pride.

_Felicity? What an odd name for a man._

Oliver looked from Ra's back at the hooded figure and realized the reason the man was smaller than the rest was because, he was in fact a she. The girl at the sound of Ra's voice bowed and pulled off her black hood, revealing long blonde hair and a gorgeous looking face. Oliver's eyes widened.

Oliver couldn't take his eyes off of her. He could see her eyes were the bluest of shades. He was taken out of his thoughts when Ra's beside him spoke, pointing towards the girl in front of them.

"That Emerald Archer, is my youngest. My Felicity." Oliver glanced at Ra's, the mans voice was laced with a hint of softness. Guess he has a soft spot for his daughter. And he has three daughters, any more?

She was beautiful, and Oliver wondered how the hell she was related to Ra's. In truth he wondered that about all three women, they were all beautiful… but Felicity was different not just in her physical attributes.

He hadn't felt this awestruck in a long time… not since Laurel, before the island.

This girl though, she wasn't Laurel, no this girl was a warrior. She was fit and petite, she looked powerful and poised. He could see from his place away from her, she had a glint in her eyes that made her look like she was up to no good, yet still totally innocent. How could those two attributes possibly coexist?

He involuntarily froze the moment the depths of her blue eyes glanced directly at him.

For weeks he had been plagued with negative thoughts, thoughts of killing and revenge. Though one look at her and he was already forgetting why he was there in the first place, and then he realized, that was a dangerous thing.

_Shit I'm screwed_.

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**Ok there's chapter 1 of Heir to the Demon. So as you see Felicity is like way different lol. I just wanted to make her real bad ass cause I need more Felicity fighting scenes in my life. So as always thank you to everyone that has read through this entire first chapter I really hope you guys liked and enjoyed this take on Olicity. I will update according the type of reaction I get from reviews. So PLEASE review let me know how you guys liked this. I love to hear feedback! So REVIEW and I'll see yall in the next update!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys so first I want to start by saying… WOW! Never in my history of writing FanFiction have I ever had this type of reaction to JUST the first chapter… I mean 20+ reviews and 100+ follows that's just insane in the best possible way! So I just want to thank every single one of you! Yall don't know how this reaction makes a gal feel, so again thank you from the bottom of my heart! Oh and below I'm going to answer some questions yall had!**

**1st… Felicity will STILL be a tech guru. She's just not an IT girl in this story.**

**2nd… Yes Tommy didn't die in this fanfic, because he was the catalyst that made Oliver give up killing… and well Oliver has to be able to kill in the league so… Tommy is still alive. (Fyi this Fic WILL be darkish)**

**3rd… Felicity will still have some of her charm BUT she will be different… I mean her father IS Ra's Al Ghul. Remember this is an AU so please don't get angry if Felicity isn't what you're used to. But I will try and throw in some Felicity-esk moments.**

**4th… Regarding Sara on if she's in the league… yall will just have to wait and see!;)**

**5th… Not everything will be accurate when it comes to the league and all the ninja stuff.**

**Ok so that's it for now! Again thanks for reading and I hope yall enjoy chapter 2!:)**

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_Previously onHeir to the Demon:_

_He involuntarily froze the moment the depths of her blue eyes glanced at him._

_For weeks he had been plagued with negative thoughts, thoughts of killing and revenge. Though one look at her and he was a__lready forgetting why he was there in the first place, and then he realized, that was a dangerous thing._

_Shit I'm screwed._

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Oliver continued to look at the mysterious blonde in front of him. She gave him a weird look, one he couldn't decipher, then she quickly looked away and back towards her father. He was drawn to her, his attention all on her, that is until he heard the other men in the room start to get up, then his eyes moved away from her. They all bowed at Ra's and just walked away so quietly and swiftly you'd start to wonder if they were even there in the first place.

Ra's walked towards his daughter's and Oliver followed suit. She stayed still, her hands behind her back, like a soldier waiting to be told what to do.

He took his eyes off her to look at her older sisters and saw that they had the same look in their eyes. They stopped in front of her and Oliver stayed a safe distance behind Ra's. "Talia, Nyssa, Felicity… my girls." Ra's addressed all three. They didn't speak just moved their eyes to look at him. Oliver was dumbfounded. Ra's spoke with a soft tone when he addressed his daughters. Just an hour ago when he had first laid his eyes on the Demon's head, he saw a freezing glare of a man that had taken many lives.

Yet despite his daughter's standing like soldiers before him, and despite the look he had in his eyes before; the man in front of Oliver didn't look like the "Demon" everyone feared.

Oliver then realized that not many people must not be exposed to such a display form this man. Surely Ra's knew that it was something any enemy of his would see as weakness and try to exploit. It made Oliver wonder…. Why he felt comfortable enough to show his apparent weakness to him?

"Daughter's, meet Oliver Queen." Ra's introduced him in his heavy accent, breaking Oliver's thoughts. Oliver only turned his eyes to look at the three sisters and gave a silent acknowledgement.

Ra's turned to look at Oliver. "You ready for your first spar as a member of the league Queen?"

Oliver quickly straightened up his back and placed his hands behind his back mirroring the position of the three women, and nodded in reply.

"Good, let's see if your previous training can benefit you here." Ra's turned to Felicity.

"Little one, come here-" She stepped up waiting for her father's orders. "You'll be giving our new member his first lesson."

Oliver's mouth fell open, him fight her? He didn't doubt the girl had skills but the deal was for Ra's to train him!

"Wait!" Oliver interrupted. "I thought you were going to train me? It was part of our agreement!" He said accusingly, never raising his voice.

Ra's laughed un-amused. "Oh my boy you have a lot to learn… like first-" Ra's quickly in the blink of an eye pulled his sword out and had it pressed against Oliver's pulse. "You do not demand anything from me." He said his voice returning to a low and menacing one. Oliver's skin couldn't help but stick out in goose bumps, but he maintained his challenging stance.

After a moment of the two staring at each other with challenging looks, Ra's lowered his sword back to its scabbard.

"Besides boy." Ra's continued. "My Felicity here is one of my best. She's mastered the art of Jiujutsu and Archery. She's had 15 years of training; she was personally trained by me… I'm sure my daughter is a worthy enough opponent for you."

Oliver was severely annoyed, but only nodded, once again as his only response. His lips pressed in a hard line his eyes glaring.

"Good now go on. Weapons are over there." Ra's pointed to a steal box that had in it a variety of different weapons… all except a bow and arrow.

Oliver walked up to the box, and quickly made work getting rid of his shirt dropping it to the ground beside the box, leaving him in only his cargos. His scars on display for them to see. He looked at all the weapons and decided he'd choose the Katana, just like his opponent. His very beautiful opponent.

He turned from the box and saw both Nyssa and Talia beside their father. That only left Felicity and himself in the middle of the large sandstone courtyard. The quiver and bow she had previously strapped onto her back was now lying on the ground. He walked to the middle, and locked eyes with her… she was ready he could see it in her sapphire eyes. She was already starting to calculate him.

He had to admit he didn't know what to expect from this fight. He was annoyed sure, but only because he was promised to learn from Ra's, the man that Merlyn feared so deeply. But he'd seen her single handedly take down five ninjas… five men who Ra's claimed to be some of his best.

He was no stranger to strong women… he'd known strong women before, Shado being one of them. If Ra's said Felicity was one of his best then hell.

He took another step forward, her hood was still down and he could finally see every detail on her face. She was even more breathtaking from up close. Her eyes weren't just blue… they held specks of green in them, and her cheeks were adorned with freckles, and her lips… her lips were full and intricately shaped.

Even though he had witnessed this girl kick ass, he was having a hard time placing that face onto someone who was ruthless when it came to fighting. She was so different though, not just because she was a trained assassin, no there was something about Felicity Al Ghul that had him so confused. It was her eyes. The woman in front of him wearing a black traditional Shozoku and a Katana in hand, had him completely intrigued… and that bothered him to no end.

He wasn't supposed to feel any type of positive emotions. He was broken, he had been for years, his heart was beyond repair. He was a man that had lost his family. He was a man that was determined to get revenge. Though looking at her he couldn't help the things he was feeling, and he hadn't even spoken a word to her yet. Hadn't even heard her voice.

Whatever these feelings were they were like a breath of fresh air, a breath he wish he didn't need. He needed to have all his focus on Merlyn, on getting stronger so that he could put the man 6 feet under. Oliver looked intently into her eyes again, she just stared right back. Oliver couldn't really decipher what the look in her eyes were, once again his attention on her…

He smirked at her. "So, heir to the demon… ready to get your ass whooped?" He taunted at the blonde, making sure to whisper so only she could hear.

Her eyes narrowed a bit and he saw that the corners of her mouth twitched, trying to hold in a smile. He saw that gleam in her blue eyes, the one he was sure he himself held on occasion when he was about to kick someone's ass. Ironic how he's seeing it from someone else's eyes.

Suddenly out of nowhere her sword came down and he barely had time to register it. He quickly dodged it, but by a centimeter. "Lesson number one Queen, your opponent won't wait for you. They'll strike at any time, there's no room for cockiness. Or did all those late night escapades jumping from roof top to roof top not teach you that?"

That was the first time he had heard her voice and like her it was absolutely entrancing. Stopping him in his tracks just like before. Everything about this woman was intriguing, and her accent didn't help either.

All Oliver could do was stare… how did everyone know about him being a vigilante? Oliver was brought out of his thoughts again when her katana swung. Though this time he was able to counter the attack with his sword.

They continued fighting, and for a while they switched, her on offense him on defense and vice versa. The only sound that echoed through the courtyard was the sounds of their heavy breathing and the clinking of metal.

"Not bad, you've lasted longer than I expected." She said this time a mischievous smirk on her face. He didn't answer and she only continued attacking.

He wasn't a master at the sword like she was. He was an archer, that was his thing, along with hand to hand combat. Even though Slade had taught him how to wield a sword, fighting her was more difficult than he thought it would be. She moved quickly, her movements and footwork graceful. Whereas he was a lion with his attacks; powerful and aggressive. Hers were much like that of a snakes; patient and sure. He didn't have a technique he only attacked when he saw an opening. With the bow it was different, way different. You could find a weakness anywhere.

They continued to fight, and at one point Oliver thought he'd had her. He grabbed her wrist in a moment when she came down with her sword and pulled her towards him. He hit her forearm making her drop her weapon. It clinked on the stone ground as it hit it, and he already had his sword above her ready to make the final blow.

Then for a split second he realized how close they really were. She was looking deep into his eyes, they were really close. So close that just a few inches more and their noses would be touching. He still had his free hand around her wrist. Their eyes were locked and their warm breaths were mingling with each other's. For that instant he could feel his broken and darkened heart give a small but significant flutter and it made his breath stop in the middle of its journey.

He saw that just like him she was reacting to their close proximity. Her eyes held a different look than what he had been seeing. Their chests would slightly hit one another's every time they breathed in. Despite being sweaty she was still beautiful, he thought. Then the look in her eyes quickly disappeared because suddenly his naked back was touching the ground and she was poised over him with his sword against his chest and her foot on his torso holding him down.

Being so distracted in a fight was so out of character for him. He always took his fighting seriously, but this woman… she was fucking distracting him. Yet, he could only stare up at her still completely entranced by her. He realized he was doing that a lot around her. He barely knew this girl and he bet she thought him a mindless idiot. He couldn't help it though, her golden hair was glowing by the sun hitting it above her, and it made a curtain around her face as she peered down at him. Her eyebrow arched and a cocky smile on her face. His heart once again fluttering, and once again he became annoyed with himself and the girl that elicited such emotions from him.

Her honey-suckle voice echoed through the courtyard breaking his ogling of her. "You're a worthy opponent, just not enough to beat me." She grinned above him. "You still need work on your technique... and your focus." She jabbed.

Oliver was still on the ground when he heard Ra's thundering clap and low chuckle.

"Well Queen it seems my Felicity got the best of you." He walked up to her and gave her a small kiss on her glistening forehead. "Great job little one, you've proven yourself yet again."

Oliver was still baffled by the way Ra's was with his daughters especially with Felicity, it seemed the two were close.

Oliver grunted picking himself off the ground. "Oliver Queen you still have ways to go. But there is no doubt that you have talent. I'm sure that with your bow you are a much different warrior. But in no time I will have you fighting better than I do, with all weapons. A man is only as strong as his greatest weakness, you'll do well to remember that."

Oliver's eyes widened... had the most dangerous man on Earth praised him after he had so unceremoniously lost? He didn't know what he had done to earn such a positive treatment from him. If anything Oliver had been rude and demanding from the moment he met Ra's. The man was nothing like the man Merlyn had described. Sure he was scary as fuck when he wanted to be, but his hospitality and praise was something he was not expecting.

Oliver didn't know what to answer so he just nodded for the hundredth time, not knowing what to say.

"Alright then, that's enough for today. Oliver you and I, we will be training tomorrow night. Meet me in my throne room." With the last order Ra's dismissed himself leaving his daughters and Oliver alone.

He saw Talia and Nyssa exchange words then walk away. Now there were two, he thought. As he watched Felicity walk over to the weapons box, and place her katana back in, and turned silently turned to retrieve the bow she had set on the ground.

"So you're an archer." He said as a statement, remembering what Ra's had told him.

She turned and looked at him. "Yes." She answered simply looking at the quiver and bow in her hand, then looked back up with a happy glint in her eyes. "I prefer it to any other weapon. I love the way it makes me feel when I shoot an arrow, there's something so soothing about it. Of course when it's not aimed towards someone." She added a hint of laughter at the last part.

Oliver for the thousandth time was completely surprised by her. So she didn't like aiming at people? Wasn't she an assassin for crying out loud? This place was a walking contradiction. Ultimately thought he agreed with her, and kind of wanted to laugh at her last jab. Archery was something not many people could appreciate. It was weapon that took a lot of concentration and immense skill. He looked her in the eyes, searching. She really was something else.

Oliver cleared his throat ignoring the pesky feelings he was feeling in the pit of his stomach. "You know…" he said moving in front of her and he saw that she turned her head back following him. He leaned on the box in a casual manner. "If you hadn't distracted me I would've beaten you… you cheated." He teased, something he hadn't done since... well since before the island.

He saw her eyes narrow and it only served to make him grin like an idiot. He realized he got under her skin just like she did with him.

"Say what you want Queen-"

"It's Oliver."

She raised a brow condescendingly, and continued. "Like I said Queen, remember lesson number one was not to get cocky. I beat you because you weren't good enough to beat me, simple as that, and because you let your opponent distract you." She pointed out matter of fact.

He laughed, she was affected by him too and he knew a deflection when he saw one. She was downplaying the moment they had, because it was in fact a moment they had shared. A very sweaty and very sexually charged moment. He didn't know this woman, but for some reason she brought out things in him he thought he'd never experience again after Laurel, especially after what happened with Thea and his mother. He'd thought he'd be emotionally turned off forever, but he guessed he was wrong.

She distracted him from the pain he felt, from the guilt he felt for not being able to save his family. From the complete and all-consuming hate he harbored towards Malcolm Merlyn. Maybe being around her wouldn't be such a bad thing; maybe being around her could help him get some peace as temporary as it might be. He thought he'd want to focus on the pain he felt to make him more focused, but experiencing just a fleeting moment of peace was something he knew deep down he needed. Something he knew he craved. The crazy thing is he never knew he'd get it from a stranger.

He shook himself from his thoughts and realized she was staring at him questioningly; he pushed the way it made him feel inside.

"Alright you know what; you did win fair and square. I got distracted. I'll give you that, but how about I show you what I can do with a bow and some arrows? I can assure you I won't get so easily distracted with my weapon of preference."

She placed her hand on her hip, she appeared to be thinking. He saw her pearly white teeth come out and bite her lip. That must be a habit of hers when she thinks, he guessed, and it had his heart doing backflips against his chest. SHIT, he thought.

"Alright Queen. How about tomorrow?"

"Deal!" He answered immediately.

She looked at him with a curious look. "Ok then, meet me here at dawn, let's see if you live up to your name, Emerald Archer." She emphasized.

Oliver smirked and cleared his throat, changing the subject. "So um, does your father make it a habit of training with every new member and giving them a room in your home?" Oliver asked reaching for his discarded shirt that was a few inches in front of him and put it back on.

"No he doesn't. My father must think highly of you."

"He doesn't even know me."

"On the contrary. He's had eyes on Starling for a long while. That's why my father praised you even after I beat you, because he's heard of how skilled of a fighter you are. He's had Merlyn followed all around the world and when Merlyn settled in Starling well he had eyes and ears all around the city."

Oliver's blood suddenly boiled in rage. "If he had his eyes on Starling then why didn't he have the members step in before Merlyn mass murdered hundreds of innocent people?! Isn't that what the league does? Doesn't it kill and get rid of men like Merlyn?" Oliver spat out, his body going rigid with rage, his fists clenching.

Felicity didn't even flinch at his accusatory words, and his seemingly out of no where anger. She just answered him straight-forwardly.

"We didn't stop him because; we had no idea what Merlyn was planning. We knew he was up to no good, but code protects him from our retaliation if he doesn't commit the crime. Merlyn was one of us don't forget, my father's confidant. He knew how we worked, and he hid his tracks well." She answered with a strangely comforting tone. Her blue eyes were watching him intently as if to try and read his mind. He tried to hide his obvious pain at the thought of Thea and his mother.

Oliver clenched his fists once again trying to reign in his emotions. He was sure his nails were leaving dentures in the palm of his hand. Point was she was right; Malcolm had covered his tracks really well. He couldn't blame them, not really if it had taken even him over a year to realize what was really happening. By the time he and Diggle had figured it out it was already too late, and lives were lost.

There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't feel the lives of all those people on his shoulders. Truth was as much as he hated Malcolm as much as he wanted revenge, Oliver hated himself too. He wasn't fast enough and the promise he had made his dad, well he felt like he had let him down. This is why Oliver decided that maybe her presence was something he wouldn't mind feeling because for some odd reason, she made him forget.

How could what he was feeling for her be normal? He reminded himself for the millionth time in just the short span of 30 minutes since he laid eyes on her. He didn't even know her for gosh sakes! He knew almost next to nothing about her, yet she had captured his interest in just that small amount of time. He was right on his assessment before… he was so screwed.

And just like that his anger was gone, his hands were limp hanging by his side, and he saw that she was busy sorting the weapons in their place in the box. He imagined she was giving him some space.

Oliver once again put that aside. "So where do I get one of those?" He pointed at her black Shozoku, changing the subject, probably giving her whiplash. If anything, his out of control emotions had his head spinning.

She looked down pulling on her Shozoku and looked back up. "Your sleeping quarters are sure to have them, as well as all of your belongings."

"Alright thanks."

Felicity gave him a small smile and moved to close the box. She glanced at him one more time. "I'll see you in the morning…. Oliver." She said, and quickly, like a ninja… pun intended disappeared leaving him gaping after her. She had called him Oliver, and damn he had to admit it sounded amazing coming from her.

He sighed and headed out of the training courtyard and towards his new room. Again he wondered what he had done to earn such hospitality from a man many claimed to fear. The man had set aside a room in his own mansion for Oliver, but he opted to just accept the way things were going, best not to question things.

Oliver walked a while until he made it inside, no one in sight. He looked around the hallway and saw that much like Ra's throne room, there were large windows that peered out into the desert land outside. He saw that the sun was already starting to set and wanted now more than ever to settle in and go to bed; already feeling the strain of his emotional stresses and physical labor.

He had seen where his room would be before, Ra's had showed him on their way to the training building. He entered a large, tall hallway. The walls much like everything else, were made of stone, and lit by lanterns with a burning flame in each one. This would definitely take some getting used too. He continued walking through the torch lit hall and stopped in front of what would be his room.

Oliver opened the door and saw that inside was nothing short of fancy. There was tapestry all along the walls, and a large wooden bed. He walked in and saw that the room even had its own bathroom and closet.

How the fuck? He thought. When he first saw Ra's home he was completely taken aback. He'd imagined this place to be hideous. They were in the middle of a desert for gosh sakes! He didn't expect this at all, hell even the training buildings were nice! The place he had fought Felicity was Ra's and his daughter's private training facility.

He guessed it was a good thing; that Nanda Parbat hadn't turned out how he had imagined.

Of course he'd only seen the mansion, he'd have to go out and see the entire city. Oliver walked deeper in the room and saw that a chair held his duffle bag he had brought with him and what do you know… his very own pair of Shozoku's. He smirked a bit thinking about Felicity.

He needed his rest, tomorrow not only would he train with Ra's, but he'd be training with Felicity as well. He needed all the sleep he could get. With that in mind Oliver took his shirt off, leaving only his cargos on, and decided to just go ahead and sleep, too exhausted to do anything else. Shower and food be damned he was fucking beat.

Oliver lay down on his new bed and looked up into the ceiling. The only light was that coming from the window on his left. He looked at it and saw that the sun was nowhere to be seen, night would fall any time now. He closed his eyes and placed his hands behind his head.

This wasn't home, not his real home. He'd miss his real home, he knew that much. Being gone away on a deserted Island then Hong Kong, then Russia...he'd learned to appreciate Starling a lot more.

He'd miss Raisa's cooking and Thea's annoying habit of waking him up on Saturday mornings to watch cartoons. He'd miss Tommy's complete wittiness and Diggle's father complex… He'd miss his mother's hugs…

Oliver felt his heart constrict in pain. He wouldn't let himself cry, something he hated to admit, he'd done too much of that already. He'd miss Starling, but he couldn't go back. He couldn't face it, wouldn't be able to handle it. Only thing he knew was that he'd get his revenge. Malcolm would pay. Oliver would get stronger, find Merlyn wherever he had run to, and kill him.

Starling used to be his home. Now he was here, he was part of the League of Shadows; this is what he had chosen.

Oliver willed himself to forget all the pain he was feeling, all the pain that was threatening to swallow him whole.

Instead he opted to think about a feisty, strong, and enchanting blonde who had given him the smallest amount of peace he's felt for the first time in years… he basked in the feeling thinking about her brought, and then slowly but all at once fell asleep.

* * *

**OK hope you guys liked chapter 2! PLEASE don't forget to leave me a review! The more reviews I get the faster I'm opted to write the chapters! Thanks guys and love you all!:)**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys I'm back! Yeah I know it's been forever since I updated but it's only because the Holidays we're crazy busy! And I wrote this entire chapter on my phone... yup my phone. My laptop is no more. So my updates will be a bit slower until I get myself a new laptop. But anyways I hope you all are having a wonderful 2015 so far. So below I'm going to answer some questions.**

**1... Yes Slade Wilson WILL be in this fic...**

**2... Oliver didnt use his A.R.G.U.S resources to kill Malcolm because Oliver wants to do it himself. And in order for that to happen he needed to be trained by the man that trained Malcolm... and well because that's what our story here is about.**

**3... Yeah Oliver will have, has ALREADY had a huge reaction to Felicity. When you got that chemistry you got it.**

**OK so that's it for now... if yall have any more questions leave them in your review and I'll start answering them in all my A/Ns. OK onto to the story...**

* * *

_Previously on Heir to the Demon:_

_Oliver willed himself to forget all the pain he was feeling, all the pain that was threatening to swallow him whole._

_Instead he opted to think about a feisty, strong, and enchanting blonde who had given him the smallest amount of peace he's felt for the first time in years… he basked in the feeling thinking about her brought, and then slowly but all at once fell asleep._

* * *

"Ollie! Help me!"

Oliver disgruntled looked around, looking for the voice of the girl yelling out for him... it was dark, the only thing he could see was the orange glow of the fire surrounding his home.

"OLLIE!" His body trembled with the shrill of the girl's cries... her voice sounding familiar...

He realized the voice sounded familiar because it was...THEA! His little sister was calling out to him in panic, he couldn't move, his body frozen in place. He just stared out onto the burning house in front of him, watching as it burned, and burned, and burned. He looked at the tall windows, and all you could see were flames, brilliant red and orange. The yard around the mansion already scorched into nothing, leaving only a field of black ash.

"Oliver!" His heart stopped once again... it was his mother's voice calling out to him now. Oliver couldn't move... he wanted too, but his body wouldn't budge.

He continued to hear their screams filled with terror. "THEA! MOM!" He yelled out, his body was trembling, vibrating so hard he didn't know if he'd pass out. He had to do something, anything, but his body continued to stay in place. He clenched his hands and his teeth, yelling out, using all the strength he could possibly use trying to escape the invisible shield in his way, but nothing.

He could feel his heart breaking, could feel the sweat drenching his body as he exerted himself. He could feel the tears welling up in his eyes... he could feel the scream of agony building in his chest.

Suddenly, just as quickly as the screams had started, they stopped, fading into the darkness... and the fire along with it.

It was dark out, but the house stood like it had always stood. Like the fire that broke out right in front of him hadn't happened. The yard was once again fully intact the house looked normal... There was no fire, no screaming. Oliver stayed still for a while, then decided to try and move again. This time his body was able to move, he walked forward heading to the house. One foot in font of the other. He made it to the front and opened the large wooden door, walking into the house. The lights were off and the mansion was vacant.

There was an eerie silence, no ticking of a clock no creaking of the foundation, just literal ear deafening silence.

He walked across the foyer. "Mom? Thea?" He called out quietly, his voice echoing against the wooden walls.

Oliver stayed quiet... the air around him felt cold. He felt a prickling sensation at the back of his neck. He took a deep breath and turned slowly, to look behind him.

What he saw was something that came straight out of a horror movie... his mother and Thea were standing there... but their skin was burned. Their clothes singed, they were barely recognizable, scratch that they weren't recognizable.

For the first time in his life Oliver was scared. He couldn't handle it, his chest tightened up and he felt his knees buckle and give away.

He fell to the floor and once again, felt the heavy weight on his chest start to build. Threatening to suffocate him. He looked up at his family, or what was left of them.

"You failed us Oliver." Thea spoke... he couldn't look at her. There was nothing to see. Her face was completely gone; burned. Her words pierced at his soul. He knew he had failed his mom, knew he had failed Thea. He was too busy saving the damn fucking city that he had forgotten about the most important people in his life.

"Oliver why didn't you save us?" His mother spoke. He couldn't continue to hear this he couldn't!

"Oliver?"

"Oliver you failed us."

"Oliver you didn't save us!"

Their voices were now combined, they were getting closer and closer, and all Oliver could do is clench his eyes harder, and bite down on his bottom lip trying to hold in his screams. Each yell out to him was like daggers plunging into his heart.

Oliver cupped his ears trying to stop himself from hearing them. He couldn't take it! He felt like he wanted to pull his hair out! He felt tears slip out of his closed eyes, and his chest heaving, trying to fill his lungs but failing to.

"OLIVER WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE US?!"

Oliver woke up with a start, his body going up in a sitting position. He was breathing heavily and he could feel the sweat that formed on his forehead. His eyes wildly looking around taking in his surroundings.

He sighed, It was just a dream...

He ran his hands through his short hair and breathed in, the inhale shaky and uneven, he felt disoriented. The room was dark the only light was that of the sunrise peeking through the window. Oh right, he was in Nanda Parbat.

Oliver sighed once again and held his head in between his hands... he's had he same dream ever since the undertaking. When the quake hit the Glades, Malcolm decided to go and pay a visit to Moira Queen, the woman that had 'supposedly' betrayed him.

While the 'Hood' was too busy trying to save everyone in the Glades he had neglected his own family's safety, thinking they'd be safe at home, but was he wrong.

Malcolm set fire to the Queen Mansion killing both his mom and Thea. Burning Oliver's last remaining humanity with them.

There wasn't a day that went by where Oliver didn't think of his mom and sister. His friends that HAD survived, the friends he left behind Tommy, and Diggle... they were all back in Starling.

He also didn't go a day without hating Malcolm Merlyn.

Then there was Felicity...

For however long Oliver had sparred with Felicity the day before, for the first time in months his main focus wasn't revenge, hate, or guilt. She had somehow sedated the beast for a while. Oliver hated it, but at the same time welcomed the long awaited peace he'd been craving but neglected himself of.

Speaking of Felicity... he was supposed to meet her in the courtyard!

Oliver released a loud puff of air and got up from bed. He went into the restroom and got ready putting on the traditional ninja outfit that Felicity and her sisters had worn the day before. He had to admit... the fabric was way more airy then his leather gear which was packed tightly in his duffle bag.

He made a quick exit, walking past unknown doors. He walked outside and into the familiar hallways that surrounded the large grassy/stone covered floor of their private training courtyard.

The sky was a brisk orange and yellow color, the air was still chilly and everything was super quiet... except for the sounds of arrows piercing through the air.

That was a sound he was all too familiar with. He walked silently and followed the familiar sound.

There he saw her.

She was standing straight, her back to him. He hair was tied in a high ponytail, and this time wearing a deep forest green Shazoku. Her stance was beyond perfect and he still couldn't believe the ass whooping he got the day before, this chick was like a Lara Croft in real life. Thea would've loved her...

He unconsciously smirked. Except instead of using guns she had arrows and large Katanas.

He looked ahead of her and saw that there were targets a good number of meters away. He saw her back shift as she took a large breath and when she exhaled the arrow zipped through the air piercing the target right in the middle.

She was good.

He wondered why he kept getting surprised, he had seen first hand what she could do.

"So are you just going to stand there and gawk at my archery skills all day Mr. Queen? Or are you going to show me what you got?"

Her honeysuckle voice broke through the silence of the morning. He didn't know how to respond... he quickly got his barring's when she turned her head slightly over her shoulder. Oliver saw that she had a smirk plastered on her face.

"Well I'm a league member now right? Aren't I supposed to stand back and observe quietly?"

She lifted her brow. He noticed that her face was so much more defined with her hair up. He could see the contour of her high cheekbones and the shape of her defined but feminine jaw. The orange and yellow light of the dawn making her eyes look green instead of her original blue, and her freckles... she had freckles.

What was it about this woman?

"You call that being observant and quiet?" Her grin grew wider, dimples making an appearance. She walked up to him and placed her hand on her hip. "For starters... I could hear your footsteps the moment you walked through those halls... AND you breathe really loud." She said saucily.

Oliver couldn't help but let out a chuckle, that surprised him. The fact that he'd actually 'chuckled' wasn't lost on him.

"Well sensei please teach me your ways?" He shot back clapping his hands together and bowing. She only continued to grin. Their eyes locked for a second, and for a moment he really thought she was looking right through him. She probably was. She had observant eyes...

"I would but it seems my father has taken the honor of teaching the oh so famous 'Emerald Archer'." Her shoulder's shrugged in mock sadness.

"Yeah well, we'll see how that goes. Apparently all the training I had done before I got here, is all but meaningless." Oliver said, suddenly feeling self-conscious and vulnerable... something he hasn't felt in a long time; he hated it. Yet somehow he felt that it was ok in front of her.

"On the contrary Oliver." He saw that her face turned serious and took a small step forward. "Like my father said last night... you have a gift. I mean I gave you a hard time yesterday but, you're good. You really truly are... not many people can say they've lasted that long against me." She said adding a hint of humor to lighten the mood.

He smiled. Damn her... how the fuck did she do that?!

"Oh aren't we a bit full of ourselves?" He said.

Her grin once again showing up on her face.

"Ok so lets get this thing going?" He asked trying to distract himself from the blonde in front of him.

"Alright, I brought you my favorite bow... I wasn't sure if you'd bring yours so..." She turned away from him and walked to the same weapons box that was there the day before and grabbed a wooden bow from on top of it.

She walked back to him gracefully and handed him the heavy weapon along with a quiver filled with sharpened arrows. He looked at the bow, it was magnificent. The wood was polished and had what looked like Japanese symbols on it.

"Sachiko." Oliver spoke into the morning breeze. He lightly fingered the engraved words and looked up at her.

"Child of Bliss." She translated.

She placed a finger on the engravement just like he had. "My father had it made for me, it was my first weapon. It's why he named me Felicity... which also means 'happiness'... he always says that I'm a lot like my mother. That despite..." she gestured to everything around her. "EVERYTHING, I was always a happy child. He says the day I was born was a day of bliss."

He looked at her face as she continued to look down at the wooden bow in his hands.

"Kind of ironic though huh? How my father literally named me after happiness and I'm a trained assassin."

Oliver was shocked, up until now he hadn't really seen her like an assassin. Sure they HAD fought each other, and he had seen what she could do, but it's true, she seemed like a person full of light and happiness.

He didn't know her but there was something about her that glowed positivity, despite her current status. He guessed that's why he was able to react in ways he'd hadn't been able to, even before he was back home in Starling.

"Are you sure you want to let me borrow this? Shouldn't you be using it? I mean it is yours." He asked eyeing her.

"No worries Queen, it's only for this one time. Plus it's my lucky bow, and you need all the luck you can get." She said giving him a wink, she turned back to retrieve her own bow, that she'd placed on the floor.

He walked up behind her while he fastened the quiver around him, and saw her do the same. "So I got a question does everyone here have a nickname?"

She bent her arm back to grab an arrow and quickly had it mounted on her bow ready to go. "Yes..."

"Hmmm; so what's yours? Do you have one? Other than the Sachiko?" He asked curiously. He saw her back shift like the last time, and she quickly released the bow hitting its mark the second time. "Yeah they call me 'Kabus Rami'... 'Phantom Archer', it's Arabic.

Here you may have noticed we use many languages, but the main ones are Mandarin and Arabic. My sister's began calling me that after they saw how I moved through the night. They say I'm quiet, too quiet. Which is why I told you, your entrance was too loud."

Oliver was awestruck. The name was beautiful. "So wait Phantom Archer?"

She giggled. "Yeah that's what I said."

"Yeah but I mean there is only room for one archer here! Plus these names are really unoriginal." He joked.

"Yeah well, pretty sure I was an archer before you, and says you 'Emerald Archer" She played along, teasing the moniker her father had given him.

"That name was given to me by your father. I had no name, I was just a vigilante... and besides I like your name. Though I think I'll stick to Felicity if that's ok?" He said seriously.

She nodded. "Father will have many names for you, everyone will have many names for you, but the only name that matters is what you want to be called."

He thought for a second, what did he want to be called? He didn't even think he knew who he was.

She gestured for him to walk up, breaking his train of thought. He complied and bent his arm backwards retrieving his own arrow. He set the arrow in place. The way the bow bent was so smooth, he loved it... he took a deep breath looked at the target then released, hitting the bullseye. Then he quickly made his way through all the targets shuffling to his right quickly, and hitting the mark every time.

Forgetting all, but the blonde standing beside him launching her own arrows.

* * *

They continued to shoot for what seemed like hours... the sun was up and the birds were chirping. The morning chill had all but disappeared leaving a dry atmosphere.

"Well, I guess the stories were true. You have great form by the way..." Felicity said while they were in the process of removing their quivers.

He smirked at her his eyes growing mischievous, like Ollie used to do. His smirk growing into an unfamiliar smile. She looked at him strange and then saw her eyes grow wide and her face turning a nice shade of pink.

"I didn't mean it in that way Queen!" She said her face turning into a scowl.

He could only laugh. The smiling, the laughing it was all too surreal for him. After the nightmare he had, he didn't think he'd actually be able to utter even a positive word today. Normally he'd be in a bad mood, but no, not with Felicity.

"Are you ok?"

"Hmm what?"

"The look on your face. I saw it yesterday too, you're sad?..."

Oliver suddenly got really angry. "So what?" He spit out, before he had a chance to filter his words. Her body not even flinching at his hostility. He didn't know why he lashed out, he just hated being called out.

"Don't talk to me like that Queen!" She spat back, getting in his face. The air between them suddenly so thick you could cut through it with a butter knife.

Oliver wouldn't back down and so wouldn't she. He didn't know why he got so pissed... she just hit a nerve. The fact that not only could she elicit such unwanted yet secretly wanted reactions from him, but that she could also see right through him. It unnerved him.

He took a deep breath and let it out. He took a step backwards... Felicity wasn't an enemy.

He ran his hand through his face. "Look I'm sorry, it's just being near you makes me think of... or more like not think of some things that don't particularly make me happy. And when I do think of them it makes me mad that, I wasn't thinking about it."

He saw a strange look spark in her eyes. "Me? Why would I make you or not make you think of it? And why exactly would that be a bad thing?! Especially if you're not thinking of said bad thing that makes you mad?" She asked crossing her arms and lifting her brow in question... another thing he realized she did a lot.

Oliver sighed and turned away from her and started pacing. Could he tell her? She seemed like a nice enough person... despite her assassin status.

Fuck it. He was already screwed anyway. He was sure they'd start asking questions, especially Ra's. He'd only been vague about his motives to kill Merlyn. He was sure he'd have to spill, and it's not like it was a deep dark secret. Just something that was too painful to talk about.

He stopped pacing and sat down on the grassy area of the courtyard. He bet his knees and placed his elbows on them. He didn't say anything just waited for her, clearly she got the hint and sat next to him.

He closed his eyes and tried to reign in his emotions... he was about to let his demons out to a spunky, blonde who happened to be a highly trained assassin... go figure.

He didn't look at her he just stared ahead at the sandstone columns of the hallways surrounding the large courtyard.

"I don't even know you, yet I'm about to tell you something that is super personal. How does that happen?" He asked still looking straight ahead.

"I don't know... but you've had this look on your face, like you've been in pain. And you try to suppress it." She said quietly.

"Am I that obvious?"

"No, it's just that I'm able to read people pretty well."

"Let me guess its a ninja thing?" He said, once again trying to calm the waves before he opened the dam.

"No it's a Felicity thing..."

He quickly turned to look at her and she was mirroring his previous expression.

"I can especially read those who are in pain... its an expression I've been all too familiar with. It's one that I've seen in the mirror for years, I've just taught myself how to conceal it, in front of others." She said her voice sounding like it was in a far away place.

Oliver couldn't speak, so she too had gone through something similar?... then it dawned on him... her mother. Just a few hours ago when they first started, she had mentioned how Ra's compared her to her mother. How he caught the small pained expression on her face at the mention.

Felicity turned her eyes away from him.

"Now who's the one sharing to a stranger?" She said, clearing her throat and going back to staring at whatever she could.

A moment of silence passed and he just spoke out. "My um, my mother and my sister were murdered by Malcolm." He said simply... it felt like peeling a band aid from a gaping wound. He could feel his heart start to go into overdrive and his hands grow sweaty where they were clasped together.

"So what Malcolm did in your city, your family were casualties?" She asked softly, sympathy in her voice.

Oliver took another deep breath trying to control his now quivering voice and body. God how he hated Malcolm.

"Yes and no. I was too busy trying to protect the city, and Malcolm went to my home and set it on fire." He didn't want to go into specifics this would just have to do for now.

He bent his head down as soon as he felt the tears stream down his face. His breathing was labored and it took all the willpower in him to not get up and go hunt down Malcolm... training be damned! All the guilt, all the sadness he felt, it was pouring out and he couldn't stop it. He felt like a complete idiot doing this in front of someone that had the potential to kill him with her bare hands. Deep down he knew she was different, she wouldn't judge him, she'd been through a loss of a parent as well.

Then he felt the softest yet most reassuring touch. Felicity's hand was on his shoulder, and she gave him a light squeeze.

He didn't look up his face still wet with tears. After a few minutes she retracted her hand as his head came up. He wiped away his tears.

"Sorry, I don't normally do this." He stated flatly.

"Don't worry Queen it's not like I'll go and tell my father." She whispered beside him... there was silence between them until she spoke up again. "And Oliver?"

He turned his head and laid his cheek on his arms and looked at her. She had a calm, understanding, and determined look on her face.

"Whatever the reasons Merlyn had in doing what he did, their death is not your fault. Malcolm is a vindictive evil man, one which this league prides itself on ridding from the world. You didn't know that would happen, you were doing the honorable thing trying to save others. I hope I'm not over-stepping, but I'm sure any mother would be proud to know her son was helping those in need."

Oliver only blinked...

She looked away again seemingly nervous. "How can I say honorable when I kill for a living?"

"No, you kill evil men like Malcolm. And in a twisted way that is honorable." Oliver quickly defended.

They just looked at each other, that electric feeling between them once again igniting.

"Felicity!" Their heads simultaneously snapped to the direction of the female voice, echoing through the sandstone walls. Breaking the electricity and warmth between them.

They both quickly got up off the floor, making sure they looked like they hadn't just had this deep conversation. Before the voice grew closer Oliver addressed Felicity.

"Thank you." He said sincerely.

She only nodded her head giving him a small smile of reassurance.

"Felicity!" Talia walked into the courtyard and eyed him, before looking at her younger sister.

"Father demands your presence." Felicity only nodded.

"Alright then let's go." Talia turned and Felicity followed behind her quickly, they were almost out of sight but before then she was out of sight, she turned to look at Oliver one last time.

* * *

Oliver walked through Nanda Parbat, watched woman and children outside playing, or farming, cooking, etc... This was different, a lot different from Japan and even the island, it was like he was transported to another time. The people would just turn to look at him, an outsider, a stranger.

He continued to walk the streets of the old city, until he made it to the training buildings, where he watched as all the assassins worked. Some shooting arrows, others hand to hand combat, and others with swords.

He observed, watched the way these guys moved. Before he knew it he'd been watching them for over an hour. He was still surprised with himself for telling an almost complete stranger about what had been plaguing his mind.

His mind was like an old record player... repeating the same questions over and over. Why was it that he could trust her? Why was it that despite all his pain and suffering, he could so easily be emotionally compromised by a girl he'd just met. When all he could think about for months was killing the man that had taken away the only two things he cared about in life.

He honestly didn't know.

In a few hours he'd have to meet Ra's for his training session, but for now he needed to just be alone and think.

Telling her felt so, normal. It felt right and it made him feel a million times better than he had been feeling.

He still hated Merlyn with all of his guts but his talk with Felicity made his guilt subside. He guessed the sadness would always be there... just like she said, she still felt her pain, only difference was she'd learned how to mask it.

From the moment he met her yesterday he knew he was screwed, something deep within him told him this girl was going to be different.

There was something about Felicity Al Ghul, 3rd heir to the Demon, Sachiko, Kabus Rami, that had his head spinning.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard someone call to him from behind.

"Ollie?" The voice quivered.

His eyes widened and he turned to look upon a face he thought he'd never see again.

"Sara?"

* * *

**Wooo! Ok so there you have it folks thanks for reading and PLEASE don't forget to review! remember chapters may take a while to be updated since i have no laptop but i will try my best to get chapter 4 written and posted soon! Thanks again love yall!:)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Okie dokie my lovely readers I'm back with chapter 4! So I STILL don't have a laptop so like the last chapter this was written on my phone (rip my fingers). Ok so I just want to thank yall again for the amazing amount of support I'm still receiving for this fic yall are awesome sauce! Ok so yall know the drill answers to some questions below...**

**1... No Oliver won't date Sara. Romantic interests won't be obstacles for either Felicity or Oliver.**

**2... Yes this story is STILL an AU and yes Felicity and Oliver will be OOC on occasion.**

**Ok so that's it for now, if yall have any questions leave them in your review and I'll answer them as best as I can!:) Happy reading!**

* * *

_Previously on Heir to the Demon:_

_There was something about Felicity Al Ghul, 3rd heir to the Demon, Sachiko, Kabus Rami, that had his head spinning._

_He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard someone call to him from behind._

_"Ollie?" The voice quivered._

_His eyes widened and he turned to look upon a face he thought he'd never see again._

_"Sara?"_

* * *

Oliver couldn't believe his eyes... it couldn't be. She was... she was dead the last time he saw her! She had died, but what he saw in front of him said otherwise... it was definitely Sara Lance standing there, in the flesh.

After seconds of staring he realized his mouth was gaping, he could feel the tightening of his jaw as he clenched his mouth shut.

"Ollie?" He looked at her, really looked at her. She was still Sara, but at the same time there was something off about her... well duh Oliver she's in Nanda Parbat dumbass!

"Wha- what are you doing here? I thought you were dead?!" He practically yelled.

He saw her eye twitch a bit, a habit he remembered she did when she was surprised.

"I uh... well I obviously didn't die." She looked down and, when she looked back up she turned to look at the men training.

"Look lets go somewhere else where they won't hear us, and I'll explain everything."

He only nodded and followed her as she walked into an empty corridor and into what seemed like a small dojo with a large black mat in the middle.

"Sara, what are you doing here and why didn't you tell anyone you were still alive?!" He spoke up first, once they were safe from unwanted listeners.

He saw that she was fiddling with her fingers. "Don't use that tone with me Ollie, we both know that you hid a lot of things from your loved ones. You're not the only one in this world with secrets... dangerous ones at that."

At the mention of his mom and Thea Oliver's skin erupted into crazed goose bumps.

He clenched his hands into fists, trying to reign in his emotions. "That was different, and you know it. At least I went back!" He whispered menacingly. "Though what I don't understand is why you aren't as surprised to see me here." He asked, still angry.

"Because Nyssa told me you were here."

"Nyssa?"

"Yeah, I was in Starling with her and Talia... watching Malcolm. She knew who you were to me, and once you got here yesterday she told me that you'd joined the league." Sara whispered.

Oliver saw red, he felt completely betrayed. "You were in Starling the entire time and didn't do a thing to stop Merlyn?! I knew they'd been watching him, but you? Didn't even try to get in touch with me?!" He hissed.

Oliver knew why they couldn't retaliate, why they couldn't attack Merlyn without full proof of what he was up too. We all knew he was up to something we just didn't know what exactly, until it was too late. Felicity had told him, the leagues code. That didn't mean it hurt any less to know that Sara was there and couldn't even give him a heads up. He expected it from the league but Sara?

"Oliver look, I know what happened to your mom and Thea and I'm so sorry. Ok I truly am!"

Oliver laughed un-amused his heart clenching.

"Ollie..." Sara whispered. "Ollie, we couldn't do anything about it. We didn't know what he was up too. We kept a close eye on him, and even then, we were at a loss as to what his real motives were going back to Starling. As much as Ra's respected Malcolm, he didn't trust him. He knew Merlyn going back to Starling wasn't just to see go be with Tommy… he knew Malcolm was up to something. By the time we found out, it was already too late."

Oliver sighed and walked over to the large mat and sat down. First with Felicity and now Sara... these emotional episodes were taking a toll on him.

"Look I know ok, Felicity told me. I just, it hurts knowing that you couldn't even come tell me you were still alive after what happened on the ship with Slade... after all we went through on that island. I thought you were really dead. I've lived years with that guilt."

Sara sat down next to him. "Yeah well, I thought I was dead too for a while... then Nyssa found me."

Oliver looked up at Sara... he heard an odd tone in her voice. Then he realized. "You're- um you're with Nyssa?" He practically choked out.

She smiled. "Yeah..."

"Oh."

She laughed out loud and Oliver felt like a total idiot... he felt light. Just like with Felicity. With Sara though it was the feeling of familiarity in an unknown place.

"Yeah I was lost Ollie, and she found me brought me here... Nyssa trained me and I've been part of the league ever since."

"I still don't understand why you couldn't just tell me you were alive."

"Because, we were on league business, its not allowed. We kept a close eye on you too Emerald Archer.&amp; She teased bumping her shoulders with Oliver.

He scoffed. "Yeah..."

"So, you're part of the league now..." She stated.

"Yeah... I have to kill him Sara... he killed them." Oliver choked at the last part, once again falling apart.

"I'm sorry Oliver..." She didn't know what else to say.

They stayed like that for a while... in silence. Then Oliver broke it.

"Look despite my previous reaction, I am happy you're alive. I missed you." He said earnestly. Sara was his friend, at one point he saw her as something more, but now all he felt for her was friendship. She had gone through hell and back with him on the island, she knew... more than anyone what it was like.

"I missed you too, I missed everyone."

Oliver looked around the small dojo and saw that the sun was already beginning to set. He looked around to see if there was any semblance of a clock around. "Would it kill Ra's to have a clock around here?"

"He has a few actually." Sara looked down at her wrist and he saw that she had a small watch on her.

"It's 8 p.m."

Oliver huffed and stood up offering a hand out to Sara. "I need to go, Ra's will be expecting me." Oliver said.

"I heard he's taking you on as his pupil. He must really like you after what we reported to him."

"Why did they act as if they didn't know me then? When I first saw them? Why all the formalities?"

"We're the masters of deception Oliver... plus its league code. She can't act or show that she knows who her subjects were on the mission she was given. She knew why you were here... they all did. At least the destruction to the Glades part. I don't think anyone knew about your family till you told Ra's."

Oliver felt annoyed... then why all the fucking formalities if they knew why he was here?!

"Oliver...?"

"What?" He sneered, angry and annoyed.

"Look, you need to keep yourself in check ok? Try to watch your random spurts of anger."

Sara paused looking around and whispered warningly. "And watch out for Talia... and for the love of all that is good in this world. Do. Not. Piss. Ra's. Off!"

"Why do I need to worry about Talia?" He asked bewildered... he already knew not to piss off Ra's.

"Because Talia is a snake disguised as a woman. Nyssa, Felicity and I don't trust her. Don't question it just listen to what I am telling you. I'll let you in on it later, ok?"

"Alright. Look I need to go."

"Ollie, it was nice seeing you again."

"Yeah same here. See you later?"

"Yes, now go!" She shushed him away

Oliver nodded and jogged towards the door. If he could he'd skip his training, too much shit happened in one day. Opening up to Felicity despite her being a total stranger to him. Then finding out that your ex girlfriend's little sister that happened to be another ex-girlfriend was alive. His emotions were all over the place. He hated being emotional. After he got here he thought all that shit would be locked up somewhere deep inside him. That he could just be this emotionless shell of a person, and only feel one thing: Hatred. As always though, things never worked out according to plan.

Oliver walked into the familiar hallway of Ra's throne room and stood outside the large double doors. The hooded assassins standing outside just like the day before.

Oliver closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to control his bouncing thoughts and the quivering emotions.

He opened his eyes and pushed on the doors and opened them to see Ra's putting his sword through a mans chest. The only sound in the room came from the last humph of a dying man and the sound if his body hitting the stone floor.

Oliver's eyes widened only a bit... this was the Ra's, the was told about, the one that killed in cold blood. Plus Oliver was no stranger to this sort of thing.

The room around him wasn't a bright yellow and orange like it was the day before, now it was only illuminated by candles.

"Ahhh Queen, you made it just in time."

Oliver walked up to Ra's his hands behind his back.

"Sarab!" Ra's yelled out to one if his guards that was standing at the left of his large throne.

The man bowed waiting for instructions.

"Go get Queen here the freshly sharpened Katana I ordered from the blacksmith and make sure you tell the guards outside to clean this mess up." Ra's motioned to the man lying on the ground in his own pool of blood.

Sarab bowed once again quickly heading out of the large room. The two guards that were outside came in and picked the dead man off the floor dragging him out, closing the large doors behind them.

That only left Ra's and Oliver alone. The room was silent for a while... the candles lighting dancing shadows throughout the walls. Making the place look like the setting of an ancient dream. Ra's looked at him, calculating. Oliver just stood there.

"So Queen, I here you and my Felicity were training early this morning?"

"Yes." He simply stated.

Ra's gave Oliver a weird look. "Hmm, well I trust she showed you one of her many talents... my Sachiko, she's a special one."

Oliver could only stand there and nod, didn't want to show Ra's the reaction his daughter gave him.

"Well we're here to train, not to talk about my daughter."

"Ra's?" Oliver suddenly blurted out. He needed to know, the same question had been burning him since he got here.

"Yes Queen?"

"Why me? I know that I came to you, asking for help, but why have you chosen to train me yourself? I thought I'd come here learning from someone other than you. Many have told me you don't extend that same type of courtesy to others."

"Are you complaining Queen, you wish to have another teacher?" Ra's raised his brow.

"NO! No I'm just wondering why are you taking your time to train me, what makes me special enough to learn from the Demon's Head?"

Ra's clasped his hands behind his back and walked closer to Oliver. "You want to know why I decided to train you myself?"

Oliver nodded.

"Because I see myself in you."

He paused and stared into Oliver's eyes.

"Like I said when I first met you, I saw the pain in your eyes. I know where that pain comes from... it can only come from losing someone you love. My daughter's, The Canary, were in Starling, and they kept a close eye on you as well as Malcolm. You intrigued me from the very beginning Queen, the moment I heard there was a archer playing vigilante, I became curious."

Ra's paused, his blue eyes identical to that of Felicity's reading him.

"I know it was your mother and your sister that were killed. You might be asking yourself why I didn't mention it the first time we met... well that's because of code, and because I only found out by a little birdy who overheard you speaking with my youngest."

Oliver, stayed still. He needed to be careful of what he'd say in the future. The only person he knew who came when they were talking was... Talia. That must've been what Sara was talking about.

Ra's spoke again. "In time you'll learn these codes, but I know Queen, even if I hadn't known prior... sorrow is the most obvious emotion on a mans face."

Felicity had practically said the same thing; like Ra's she could see her pain mirrored in his eyes.

"I lost my wife Queen, Felicity's mother. She was my second wife... and the love of my life. Talia and Nyssa's mother was a good woman, just not the woman that I loved. And even before that, a man murdered my family, so you see… you and I are much alike."

Wait Felicity's mother? So that's why she looked completely different from her older sisters... makes sense as to why Ra's favored her as well.

"She died of sickness. When I saw the look of desperation in your eyes, I saw myself and how I felt. How I wished I could have fought off her sickness, with my bare hands. I want to help you fight away the sickness that took your family... Merlyn has a debt to pay not only to you but to me as well."

Oliver was surprised... he was so used to hearing nothing but terrible things about this guy. The most dangerous man on Earth, yet right now, he seemed more human than most of the people he's encountered throughout the years. Not the "Demon's Head" everyone referred him as. The guy in front of him was vulnerable when it came to family, just like he was.

"If you don't mind me asking what is it that Merlyn did to you?"

Ra's eyes turned wild... "I let him go, I let him return to Starling for his son, on the condition that he follow league code. He broke it."

"That still doesn't explain why it feels like it's personal to you." Oliver questioned... maybe with more confidence than he should have in front of this man.

Ra's smirked. "Perceptive you are." Ra's turned and sat down, one of his elbows on the arm of the throne.

"Merlyn, like you was a man seeking help. Guidance in his time of grief. Knowing him personally I imagine you know what I'm talking about?"

He did he was talking about Rebecca Merlyn, Tommy's mom and Merlyn's wife. He remembered how devastated Tommy had been. He was too young to fully understand what Merlyn was feeling, but later on, came to find out that the entire purpose of the Undertaking was stemmed from Merlyn's grief.

Oliver nodded in answer.

"He like me had lost his wife. I trained him personally much like I'm about to train you. He served in the league for two years... and then against my own code I let him go. Grant it I never trusted him. He was too ambitious even when training him. He never fully submitted. Once I let him go I had my daughter's and Sara go after him see if he really went to go be with his son. I should've trusted my gut Queen, because then after the tragedy that happened in your City, this man had not only broken code, but he had betrayed ME."

Oliver just stood there listening.

Ra's suddenly stood up. "He betrays my trust, and breaks code."

"That is why I tell you now Queen... I trust you. Don't make me regret my trusting someone a second time. I see it in you Queen, I see greatness. Despite all your pain and anguish you have a will and determination that will get you far. I will train you and in due time you'll get justice for your family."

Oliver's heart for the first time didn't cringe in pain, no this time, it swelled with dangerous determination to return to Starling and kill Malcolm.

The double doors creaked open once again and came in Sarab carrying a Katana in hand. He walks over to Ra's bows and turns to Oliver handing him the weapon.

The man nods his head and leaves once more.

Oliver takes it and pulls it out of its sheath... the blade glowed with the soft light of the candles. The handle a deep forest green almost black, with intricate obsidian designs. This weapon looked more like a decoration than a tool for killing. It was so nicely made. He didn't know much about swords Katanas in general but the balance, the steady feel of it in his hands was nice.

Ra's reached back and takes off his heavy robe, leaving him in only black trousers and a loose black shirt.

"Now Queen, your first lesson with me will be sword fighting. As you've noticed all my assassins specialize in all weapons, but ultimately choose one of them to master. You are handy with a bow, now you must learn a sword. Traditionally I would have started you out with a Bokken, but I feel like a live blade will give you more... motivation, so to speak."

Oliver nodded dropped the sheath to the floor. Oliver held the slightly bent blade in front of him.

"Alright Queen so the Katana is a unique weapon. Delicate and precise, a quiet weapon among it's kind. Yet it's one of the most deadly. The Katana is made to slice up your enemies, like butter, breaking through bone. It's a deadly weapon. The blade is so sharp that just touching it can cut you. As you've noticed the league draws from many cultures, Japanese, Chinese, and Arabic. The Katana was traditionally used by the Samurai. Warriors... honorable warriors..."

Ra's held his own black sword in front of him. "Never underestimate the Katana."

Oliver was entranced... much like when Slade and Shado trained him on the island. He was captured by the history, and the accented voice of his new mentor.

"Hold your sword out in front of you, left hand below the right. For now you'll use both hands to grip it, later you'll learn to use one hand when needed. Make the sword an extension of your body. Bend your knees slightly, legs apart. Your shoulders should be relaxed yet firm. Like this." Ra's demonstrating the way to properly hold it.

"Now at 3 we begin, be conscious of your footing Queen, one off step can mean the end of your life."

Oliver only stared he could feel himself slip into his survival mode, his warrior mode, his vigilante mode.

"1...2...3!" Before he finished the countdown Ra's sword came up and down in a swift motion hitting it against his.

Ra's moved quickly and silently, like a snake, much like Felicity his movements precise and well timed. This guy could read what you were about to do next.

"Footing Queen!"

Oliver was already starting to break a sweat.

Oliver lifted his sword and went to strike straight down the middle, but Ra's countered it his sword completely intersecting Oliver's.

"Don't swing from your left foot let it be balanced Queen! Let the sword be an extension of your arms!" Ra's continued to instruct Oliver as they fought.

"Good better!" Ra's praised as Oliver made a 180° and his sword almost hit the back of Ra's shoulder.

They continued fighting Oliver's arms were burning. Constantly having to hold the sword with two hands was harder than it looked... but he realized the Katana was all about control and balance.

It was all about making the sword a part of your body and being conscious of your footing.

Ra's was starting to attack harder, his strikes getting stronger and more forceful. Oliver focused and looked at Ra's movements. There! Oliver saw it in Ra's eyes.

He saw an opening and he took it, both his arm bending and bringing the sword out to try and tap Ra's rib cage. Though with his best efforts, Ra's managed to bend his arms in a way that made his Katana parallel to the wall once again counterfeiting what Oliver believed to be the final blow.

Ra's held his sword there and stood straight from his crouching stance. "You fell for it Queen. I gave you an opening that only served to distract you from my real attack. Don't let what you see in my eyes fool you... pay attention to the movements of the feet. That is how you determine their next move."

Oliver nodded and bowed. "You should feel proud Queen, you impressed me today, more than you did yesterday. Not many have lasted that long against me. You need work on your footing, but you have potential Queen."

"Thank you."

Oliver bowed once more, and turned to retrieve the sheath from the floor. He stood still for a minute trying to catch his breath.

When Oliver felt like himself again he faced Ra's who was now clothed with his heavy gold embellished robe looking, at him.

"What do I do with the Katana?"

"It's yours Queen."

Oliver looked down at the deep emerald color of the hilt. Green... he should've known. He felt gratitude, it was a beautiful blade.

"Thank you, it's greatly appreciated."

The room once again fell quiet, this man before him was not the man Malcolm had told him about. Did Merlyn simply exaggerated the truth? He didn't know, but the Ra's Al Ghul the Demon's Head that was now sitting in his wooden throne, looked more like a controlled Lion than a hungry one out for blood.

The silence was broken when the double doors for the second time opened. Oliver turned to see Felicity walk in.

For the life of him he tried, he really did, to stop the nerves and the racing heart... but she looked beautiful. Natural and strong. Her hair now down and still wearing her Shazoku.

For the thousandth time since he met her he mentally slapped himself.

She gave him a private smirk, which he returned. She walked past him and up to her father's throne. A small whiff of lilac and vanilla hitting his senses.

"Father, dinner is ready. Talia and Nyssa are waiting."

"Thank you dear." Ra's said caressing his daughter's face in such a loving way. The same way Oliver's dad used to do to him and Thea.

Oliver had come to terms with his father's death, but after everything he went through the past year he couldn't help but feel like he let his father down. Which earned another tug at his already broken heart.

Ra's stood and Oliver ignored the tugging. "Oliver, you're more than welcome to join us?"

Oliver thought about it, but he had a long day and he needed to get his shit together.

"Thank you for the offer but, I think I'll pass for tonight. I need to get rid of this extra pent up energy."

"Very well Queen, I expect you to join us next time."

Oliver bowed at the hip and walked out of the room giving one last glance at Felicity.

* * *

Oliver wandered around until he found the small dojo he and Sara had gone to hours before... he was currently shirtless, sweating like a dog using a Shinai, hitting a similar dummy like the one he had back at Starling.

He was dead tired but he continued to push himself. It felt good to hurt... to be able to be the cause of your own physical pain. To be able to control it.

He knew he sounded like a masochist, but for years he'd suffered from the hands of others. When he worked his body out to the extreme, it was the only time he ever felt in control.

He kept hitting every time imagining it was Merlyn he was beating.

"You shouldn't over exert your body like this." A soft feminine voice broke him out of his intense training.

He turned to see Felicity with a basket in her hand.

He looked down at it and back at her in question. "I brought you food. I'm pretty sure you haven't taken a bite all day."

He tried to regain his breathing. He dropped the Shinai to the ground and walked over to where she had sat down with the basket of food.

He saw her start to pull out a whole bunch of different meats and breads. He felt like he was having takeout from one of his favorite Italian restaurants.

"Thank you, for bringing me food. How'd you know I was here?" he gave her a small smile.

"You're welcome, and I went to your room but you weren't there so I asked around." She returned the gesture. Her smile lightening up his mood.

He only nodded . "So what were you up too? Other than beating the living shit out of a training dummy."

He chuckled, she was witty. "It's just a way for me to de-stress, you could say."

"Well you need to take care of yourself. Not eating all day and working your body to the limit is only going to hurt you."

Oliver looked at her and he saw that she held some real concern for him, which kind of surprised him, I mean he had only met her a day ago, the same fact he repeated to himself over and over again.

He didn't say anything just nodded and started chewing on a piece of bread.

He ate and she sat there in silence just looking ahead as if she were thinking.

"My father really thinks highly of you." She spoke up. "He talked about you throughout dinner, I think my sister Talia was about to cut her ears off with the look on her face." Felicity said playfully.

"Why does your older sister already not like me?" He asked curiously, remembering Sara's words earlier about Talia being a snake.

"Ehhh don't take it personally, Talia dislikes everyone even herself. I'm pretty sure Sara already informed you?"

He nodded.

"Yeah, well Sara is right. I love my sister but even I have trouble trusting her at times."

"She heard us talking." He stated. "Your father said a little birdy told him we were talking about my family."

He saw her nod knowingly. "If I'm good at stealth my sister is even better. One of her greatest attributes. I must not have heard her, if I had I would've put a stop to our conversation. Forgive me."

Oliver didn't know what to say for a moment. "You have nothing to apologize for, I'm sure your father would've found out eventually."

They stayed quiet for a while, then Oliver realized that he had finished his food and he actually welcomed the feeling of a good meal.

"So Oliver, more training with my dad tomorrow?"

"Yeah I guess, learning how to use the Katana. It's incredible."

"It really is, after the bow it's my favorite weapon. There's just something so controlling about it. The way your body moves as one with it... my father always said imagine it like water, it moves in sync, so controlled... yet so free."

Oliver could only stare as she spoke so passionately. Her eyes gleaming her freckles looking completely adorable. If a normal person looked at her no one would ever know that this girl works for a league of assassins... she was an something else.

"What is it about you?"

"Hmm?" She asked moving to sit in front of him.

"I've only known you for a day almost two, yet I can tell you all of this... I can't even let myself tell Sara about all of this, and she's a familiar face. Why do I trust you? Why are you such an enigma?"

She was wide-eyed. "I uhhh, um an enigma?"

"Yeah, you've got this innocence in you, yet you're a trained assassin."

He saw her blush and declared that he loved seeing that pink hue on her cheeks...

He wanted to punch himself... he wasn't a sap... but this girl.

"I'm not sure what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, I just wanted you to know that I trust you. I don't know why but I do... and that you confuse the hell outta me Felicity Al Ghul, but I welcome the confusion."

She smiled like REALLY smiled. Her pearly whites showing and her dimples displayed. She blushed and looked down.

He felt the butterflies flutter uncontrollably.

"So I got to take the basket back.&amp; Felicity got up from the floor. "I got to go, but Oliver stop overdoing it... take care of yourself ok?"

"Yeah, thanks again. For uh everything." He smiled, his face still not used to using those muscles.

"No problem... see you around Queen." Before he could reply she was out the door. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Wow she made him crazy. Even if he did like her it wasn't like he'd go after her. Ra's would never let that happen, Felicity was the apple of his eye. Pretty sure Ra's would kill him.

Oliver shook himself out of it and picked up the top part of his Shazoku grabbed his new Katana and headed back to his room; tomorrow would be a new day.

* * *

**Whoooo ok so there yall go! So sorry for the late update you guys I still have no laptop so this is all coming from my phone. So yeah. THANK YOU ALL for reading I hope yall liked it and don't forget to REVIEW! Love yall!:)**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:Wooo ok guys I know I haven't updated in like a month and for that I'm truly sorry! I STILL haven't replaced my laptop... I mean I'm a broke college student... and oh silly me I didn't want pay 17 extra bucks for the insurance... yeah I'm an idiot. But because of my wonderful best friend I was able to write this out for you guys! She let me borrow her laptop for a few hours... so I hope you guys don't hate me too much for the grammatical errors that are bound to happen in this chapter. But anyways WOW so Olicity Sex scene in the new promo like WOW! Can't wait till they air it on TV! And poor Roy! I swear Arrow will be the death of me!**

**Guys I kid you not I screamed in the middle of lecture when I saw all the spoilers on Tumblr! Our babies will be cannon even for a little while! Yay! Ok so onto my story... I will probably be going back and editing all my chapters to make them flow a little more so keep yalls eyes pealed for that. Oh and I will be trying something different with the POVs. I will try mixing them up in this chapter so I hope you guys don't get confused!**

**Alrighty this is getting long but before I begin there weren't any questions for the last chapter, but if you guys have any just leave them in your review! Alright onto the story!**

* * *

_Previously on Heir to the Demon:_

_"So I got to take the basket back.&amp; Felicity got up from the floor. "I got to go, but Oliver stop overdoing it... take care of yourself ok?"_

_"Yeah, thanks again. For uh everything." He smiled, his face still not used to using those muscles._

_"No problem... see you around Queen." Before he could reply she was out the door. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Wow she made him crazy. Even if he did like her it wasn't like he'd go after her. Ra's would never let that happen, Felicity was the apple of his eye. Pretty sure Ra's would kill him._

_Oliver shook himself out of it and picked up the top part of his Shazoku grabbed his new Katana and headed back to his room; tomorrow would be a new day._

* * *

The next day Oliver woke the same way he had the day before...with toe-curling nightmares of his family. His body trembling and drenched in sweat. He wondered when the nightmares would fade away.

Unlike the day before he wasn't going meet up with Felicity to train... He looked at the window, and saw that the sun wasn't even up yet. So he decided to go back to the dojo he used the day before, to relieve himself of the horrific images he saw in his nightmare.

The city was quiet. No movement, no children laughing, no metal clinking together, no roar of the crowd. Just the sound of the desert breeze and the songs of the night.

When he got there he quickly got rid of the top part of his Shazoku and started sparring with the dummy. He remembered Felicity telling him to take it easy, but how could he? When he was haunted and plagued by dreams of his mom and Thea? When all he saw was red, red from a thirst for vengeance. When for some reason he couldn't get a fiery blonde out of his mind.

He continued to hit the dummy with all the strength he could muster, trying to get lost in the pain in his knuckles. Life had been cruel to him, but what could he do? Maybe it was karma for all the bullshit he had put his family and friends through when he was younger.

"I knew you'd be here again."

Oliver's hard hits were suddenly stopped the moment he heard her voice.

He turned to see Felicity leaning on the door jam. She was wearing the usual black training garment, with her golden hair down.

"Hey, are you spying on me Fe-li-ci-ty?" he said breathlessly, laughing a bit.

She gave him a weary smile. "Hi, and NO, I usually get up this early, just to think."

He nodded.

"So I'm guessing you didn't take my advice?" She said lightheartedly, pointing at him and the dummy behind him.

He sighed and placed his hands on his hips trying to regain his breathing.

"I just have a lot on my mind, couldn't sleep. This is the only place where I feel...like I can just let go."

She pushed herself off the door jam and walked up to the training dummy and skimmed it with her fingers.

"You're not the only other person who uses this dojo."

He turned around facing her, she wasn't looking at him. She continued to pet the training dummy.

"Who else uses it?" He asked curiously.

There was a pause. "Me." She looked up at him.

"This room used to be used a lot but when the league started getting bigger, so did this place, and well this is the smallest and oldest dojo we have. I have no clue as to why its not used. It's probably the most private of all the training rooms we have; also the one with the most history."

Oliver heard her voice start to go someplace else.

"After my mother died this is where I came... I told you that I was a lot like you. I was broken beyond belief. My mother was an angel in a place full of demons. She was sincere and humble and nurturing. She commanded respect from anyone that met her. She was my world, then she got sick."

Oliver stood their and just listened. Ra's told him as much, about her mother getting sick and dying. Though seeing the pain from someone like Felicity hurt him. He hurt for her.

Felicity stopped touching the training dummy and much like the night before she sat down on the mat. He stood behind her for a second, and then sat down next to her.

"I was only 14 when she died. After she did, everything went to hell. My father lost his shit for a while, he started training me harder. Like me, he tried distracting himself with all this. My father had always been a hard ass...intimidating, but loving. I guess my mother brought that out in him."

"It's hard seeing your father as anything but the Demon's head..." He paused. "Well except for yesterday. He told me about Merlyn and he talked briefly about your mother. Your father really isn't what the stories say..." He stated.

"My father has his moments though. The stories are somewhat true. This IS a league of trained killers...or at least 'justice seekers' as my father likes to put it. After my mother died I was a mess, and that's why I get you. I understand your grief, and your need to remove yourself from your surroundings and just sweat away all your pain."

She turned so that she was now looking at the side of his face.

"Oliver..." She whispered.

He looked up at her and saw that her eyes held a hint of tears

"It will get better. You will train, and we will got back to Starling and you'll be able to avenge your family. You just have to learn to forgive yourself first."

He wanted to cry, to let out all the pain he was suppressing. He knew she'd let him, but he wouldn't let himself. Maybe someday but not today. He looked down unable to look into her sapphire eyes.

"You know I still can't wrap my head around the fact that we met only three days ago."

He felt Felicity shift beside him. "Well my mother always said you'll never know when you'll meet someone that seems like you've known them forever."

"Makes sense... But thank you. Really thank you."

She smiled, she could hear the sincerity in his voice. He didn't need to spew out all these different things. She could see it in his eyes as well, that he was thankful. For some reason, she felt a pull towards him. She had experienced first hand what it felt like to mourn the death of a loved one. He was a good person. She was good at reading people, and she knew it in her bones that Oliver Queen was a good man that had one too many bad cards handed to him.

Like him she didn't know what it was that drove her to tell him all these personal things about herself, but she trusted him. His soulful blue eyes and kind smile, drew her in.

"You're welcome... anytime." She smiled, earning a small lift of his lips.

She suddenly slapped her hands on the mat beside her. "Well Queen, me not being able to sleep isn't the only reason for coming here…. father told me yesterday to make sure I accompanied you to breakfast.. He wants you to join us."

Oliver looked down at his torso. "I'm all sweaty." He simply stated.

Felicity laughed. "Queen I assure you, my father won't mind. If anything he'll love your determination to train before the sun is even up."

Felicity swiftly stood and looked down at him offering her tiny hand. He took it without even giving it a second thought and stood up. She walked to the other side of the room and opened up a small box and from it she picked up a small towel. She tossed it to Oliver to dry himself off.

Oliver quickly dried himself and grabbed the top half of his shazoku putting it back on, grateful that he had taken it off before training.

She turned to walk out and he followed. He looked out into the new day, and he saw that the sun was just beginning to rise, and the sky was painted with brilliant hues of reds and pinks. They walked silently through the corridors. Men and woman already training. The place already starting to liven up.

They walked through the now familiar doors of Ra's home. His new home, and walked up a large flight of stairs. He walked behind her, and observed the way she walked. It was like her feet didn't even touch the ground at times she was so graceful.

She stopped and turned, giving him a smirk. He walked up a few inches behind her so that he could hear her whisper. "So fair warning... Our family meals are a little different than you might imagine."

He snickered, he seriously didn't know how to get used to the smiling and laughing. For all of a year since he got back he had a hard time opening up, let alone smiling at any of his friends or family members... Yet this girl brought it out of him as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Which in Oliver's world it wasn't so natural.

"Alright." She said one last time before opening up the double doors that led to their dinning hall. Oliver straightened up his back and walked in.

He saw Ra's at the head of the large wooden table. Talia and Nyssa were already there and Sara... Who was right next to Nyssa. She gave him a smile and he gave her a reassuring nod.

Ra's stood up again his voice booming inside the echoing room. "My boy, glad you could join us! I see that you were making use of your free time to train?" Oliver nodded, the 'my boy' not lost on him... "Good that's what I like to hear!"

Oliver bowed, but before then, he saw a small glimpse of Talia rolling her eyes in disgust. Guess she noticed too.

"Thank you for including me." Oliver replied.

"Come sit!" Ra's beckoned with his hand to the table, that had a large amount of food placed at the center. He saw Felicity move to sit next to Sara and followed her lead.

Before Felicity could sit down he pulled the chair out for her. She gave him a private grin and sat down, murmuring a small thank you.

He pulled out his own chair and sat down, quite uncomfortable with the fact that everyone in the room was now staring at them...

"Well, seems you were raised right my boy." Ra's said once again praising Oliver.

Oliver only nodded in reply.

"Ok well go on, eat." Ra's announced and everyone started to fill their plates, for a long while the only noises were the clinks of the silverware hitting their plates and the silent chewing.

"So my boy, how have you liked Nanda Parbat?"

Oliver quickly swallowed the egg he was currently eating and looked up at the Demons head. "It's, different. Haven't seen too much of it since it's only my third day here."

"Hmm yes well, we'll have to change that won't we.." Ra's eyes skimmed throughout the table and saw that Felicity and Oliver were very close to each other. They reminded him quite a lot of him and his Emilia. He saw no one was sitting next to his eldest. Nyssa and Sara were of their own business.

He looked back at Oliver, he truly admired the boy. Big heart, yet so much pain. Though he saw that his child, his Felicity brought out a small glint of happiness in the mans eyes. She was so much like her mother.

"I know, why don't you and my Felicity go see more of your new home today, then you can both train later." Ra's suggested, but sounded more of a command.

Oliver's eyes widened a bit. His eyes for some odd reason traveled to Talia and saw her bite her lip and her eyebrows pushed together.

He quickly averted his eyes to side eye Felicity who didn't seem bothered by the idea. Not that he was, he just didn't see this coming.

Ra's commanding voice filled the room again. "I cannot train you today. I have important business to attend to. So my Felicity can be in charge of your training for the day. Hmmm?"

He turned to Felicity with a loving look.

"Yes father." She simply answered, then Ra's looked at him and Oliver nodded.

"Good! Well I must be off... Talia, Nyssa, Canary... Come."

He stood up and walked away followed by the three women, leaving only Felicity and Oliver together in the large dinning hall.

"You handled that pretty well." She teased.

He smirked. "You mean the fact that I was almost murdered by the look in your sister's eyes?"

"You noticed that too huh? Yeah well, it's whatever, Talia gives me those looks at least twice a day."

Oliver clasped his hands in his lap and looked at her. "What about Nyssa what is she like towards you?"

Felicity sighed. "Nyssa is my best friend, we get along so well. Sometimes it hurts knowing that Talia hated my mother so much. I can deal with her disliking me, but my mother? That hurts.

"Has your father ever said anything?"

"Yes. When we were younger Talia 'accidentally' cut me with a small knife and my father punished her for weeks. I think that made her hate me even more."

"Is that the only time he's told her anything?"

"No. He's told her countless times, without my intervening I may add. She's his daughter as well, many think he favors me, but in reality he loves us all the same. The only difference is that Nyssa and I welcome his affection, Talia has always had this resentment towards him. I feel like for him, it must be difficult choosing between his children."

Felicity sighed again. "It's alright though, after that incident she hasn't done any physical damage to me."

"What about emotional?" He asked. She looked away from him and down to her plate.

"She has said some things that are otherwise unacceptable. You'd think being the daughter of the Demon and a trained assassin I'd kick her ass, but she's my sister."

"And you love her." It was a statement.

"Yes, we may not come from the same mother. But my father's blood flows through both our veins. I have hope that someday she'll change."

Oliver nodded. Felicity was a good person, he didn't need to know her for a long time to know this. Whatever her current occupation was, she wasn't a bad person. It made him realize seeing the way this place was, seeing Ra's and Felicity; that Malcolm had over exaggerated how this place actually functioned.

Felicity suddenly stood up from her chair and looked down at him. "Well you coming?"

He grinned and stood up.

"How bout I show you the fort first? Since it's what you usually see first upon arriving, then we can work our way back here?"

"Sounds good, lead the way."

For the next two hours Felicity gave him a tour of the place from the fort to the towers to all the small buildings inside the walls of Nanda Parbat. They occasionally stopped when children stopped to talk to Felicity. She was a wonder, so full of energy. All the children seemed to love her, and the adults were no exception. He only stayed back and watched her interact with these people. She even ended up buying a family of three a few loafs of bread. Her father and mother were right in naming her Felicity... she was happiness, at least to these people, even to him. The longer he was here, the more time he spent with these people the more confused he got. This place was nothing like the stories. Or was it perhaps because he was a newbie?

Afterwards they continued to walk around, then like his first and second day watched as the hundreds of ninjas trained. The sounds of muscle hitting muscle. Or swords clinking together or the sound of huffs and grunts and yells.

He was mesmerized, he had already seen a small portion of the place upon arriving, but seeing this large place in all its glory was a different experience altogether.

He had been to many places before, Japan, Russia, even pre-island, all containing shit memories, but they all had a certain charm. Nanda Parbat had a mystical quality to it.

The place was a myth...

At least to most. This is a place that exists in a world where it shouldn't exist. It held an ancient feel, it held wisdom and strength.

He missed home, he missed Starling, but he knew there was nothing for him there. The only thing left in his former city was the man that murdered his family and after he dealt with that...then there would truly be nothing there for him. He had already said goodbye to his friends.

Nanda Parbat was his home now. "What are you thinking so hard about?" Felicity interrupted his train of thought.

"Hmm, oh nothing... The usual."

"Well, c'mon I have something to show you." She grabbed his forearm leading him back into the largest building inside the walls... Ra's home. Once inside they walked up the large stone stairs, in the foyer of the mansion.

They walked up to a small wooden door. "Ok so, you probably think that this place is totally ancient, even though we have plumbing, and electricity... but... I have another skill that only a few of the members know about."

Oliver could feel how giddy she was, he saw her eyes gleaming and her cheeks flushed. She looked beautiful.

Felicity opened the door and lead him in. Walking in, he felt his jaw slacken at the sight. He felt like he'd just walked through a time vortex. One minute he was outside of the room where there were tall walls with candles lighting the way making his surroundings look old and ancient; and now he was standing in a medium sized room that contained nothing but some of the most advanced technology he had ever seen.

Felicity walked in front of him, getting in his line of sight. "So yeah this is my other skill. I love computers. You can say I'm kind of a hacker." He saw her gleam.

"Wow, this is kind of intense." he said eyeing the different monitors that were placed on tables. This place was way more high-tech than the foundry was or even his parents old company.

"Yeah, well I really got into this stuff after a few missions father sent me on. I picked up on it pretty quick." She turned to face the computer screen and started typing away, her fingers confidently flowing across the keyboard.

She stopped typing and quickly turned back at him and silently beckoned him to look at the screens.

He looked over her shoulder, he could smell the soft vanilla and lilac and it gave him goosebumps; of the best kind. He looked at the screen and his heart stopped.

It was Starling.

"How did?" He couldn't speak.

She craned her neck to look at him. "I'm using satellite Wi-Fi to hack into traffic cameras and businesses all around the city, and right now you're looking inside Merlyn Global."

He just kept looking at the different windows on the screen, willing to make Malcolm appear. He wanted to see the fuckers face.

"I've been monitoring his whereabouts ever since we trained yesterday morning. I talked to father asking for permission. And well yeah, this way we'll be able to keep a closer eye on the city and Merlyn until you're ready."

Oliver felt a plethora of emotions threatening to swallow him up. He felt anger, disgust, gratitude and sadness all at once and complete wonder about the girl in front of him.

Felicity saw the looks in Oliver's face. His eyes changing, she looked down to see his fingers rub against one another, she grinned slightly, an archers twitch, she's prone to that small habit every once and a while. She hoped he wouldn't hate her for showing him this.

"Oliver?" She whispered.

His eyes snapped to look at her instead of the screens. He looked down and back up to her. "Sorry it's just umm." He felt his throat start to constrict.

"It's ok I understand." she simply said.

Oliver quickly regained himself and cleared his throat. "Yeah, umm... Look I haven't thanked you enough. I mean you hardly know me and I've dumped all my shit on you and well all this." He gestured to everything around him. "Is really appreciated."

"No worries, you're in the league and we protect and help our own."

"Thank you." He didn't know what else to say.

Felicity just nodded.

"So how's bout we go train some?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

"Alright, c'mon." Felicity shut off the screens, and walked out of the room. He followed suit.

"You know if you want, we can come up here after dinner everyday and watch over the camera feed?"

"Sounds good." Oliver realized he was being short. He wasn't angry at her, he just had a lot of things going on in his head. He needed to train.

They made their way back to the small dojo. He quickly shed the top of his shazoku once again and picked up the bokken that was lined up on the wall.

The two of them walked to the middle of the mat. "Alright Queen, let's see if my father showed you anything new." She teased trying to help him forget and make light of the situation.

Oliver could only grin a bit. Felicity attacked first the large wooden stick coming right in front of Oliver. He remembered what Ra's told him the day before...footing.

He quickly dodged the hit and looked down to her feet she was side stepping using her right foot to step over her left which meant that she was using extra balance to strike from her left. He saw it coming before it came and was able to counter the attack with his bokken.

Felicity smiled bright. "Nice!" She praised.

He felt a shudder run through his spine, she was so freaking beautiful, and she was going easy on him.

"Come on Kabus Rami, give me a challenge!" He teased, his light mood coming back, using her Arabic league name.

She gave him a mischievous grin. "Alright Emerald Archer, you asked for it!"

They continued sparring, this time he was more aware of his footing and balance. He attacked and almost had her a few times. After a while he forgot all about Malcolm and his family. He just focused on the blonde in front of him.

"Not bad huh Nyssa?" The pair suddenly stopped their fighting and simultaneously looked at the entrance of the dojo to see Nyssa and Sara standing there watching them with curious smiles on their faces.

"Yeah Al Sah-him seems to be getting the hang of things. Though I'm sure my little sister can still one up you." Nyssa teased.

Sara's face brightened and laughed at her lovers remark.

Oliver saw, Nyssa made Sara happy.

Oliver's chest was rising and falling with each breath he took. "Yeah well this isn't exactly my forte, I'm more of a bow and arrow kind of guy..." Oliver answered a smirk on his face and a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

"And Al Sah-him?" He asked.

"The Arrow." Felicity translated from beside him. Seems they gave you another name. The Arrow...

"You wanna spar with me Ollie? Bet I can give you a run for your money... still hate that you were able to beat me so easily on the island with only minimal training.&amp; Sara walked up to them.

"Alright lets go." Oliver replied. He turned to Felicity and she handed him the Bokken and he tossed it to Sara.

"This is going to be good." Oliver heard Nyssa tell Felicity and he heard the answering giggle.

"Alright Ollie; Licity might take it easy on you, but I won't."

Without a warning Sara screamed attacking, Oliver countered the attack side-stepping just like he saw Ra's do it the day before.

They didn't talk they just continued fighting. Oliver felt pride for his friend. She was strong, and she looked happier. He thanked God that he was able to have a familiar face here, he thought he'd never be able to see his friends ever again, after he'd said goodbye to them. Having Sara here was a small consolation to him.

"So what did father want after breakfast?" Felicity asked Nyssa, her eyes on the two friends sparring.

"Just wanted us to know where he was going. Said he had to go do some recon, he favors Queen. Father is going through a lot of trouble to help him out. Hope he doesn't betray father's trust like Merlyn."

"He won't, he's a good man. Merlyn was always malicious" she paused... "What about Talia?" Felicity changed the subject.

"She's around. After father debriefed us she left towards the left wing, probably just went to go train. We need to keep an eye on her." Nyssa said with conviction.

"Ever since Queen got here she's been edgy. I hate to doubt my own flesh and blood, but she irks me little one." Nyssa said using her nickname for her younger sister.

Her and Nyssa were close, unlike Talia Nyssa had formed a bond with Felicity's mother, and after she passed away it was Nyssa that watched over her.

Felicity only nodded, there wasn't much else to say. She just continued to look upon the tall muscular man. She was hypnotized by the way his body moved. The fact that, even though he was new here, he had a determination a certain moxie, that made it seem like learning all of this was easy for him. She noticed the way he would learn something new and apply it in his next attack. He processed things quickly, there was no doubt the man was smart.

She was in awe of how strong he looked physically, but emotionally and mentally he had suffered, because the actions of one man.

"He likes you..." Nyssa interrupted her thoughts.

"What?" Felicity took her eyes off of Oliver to look at her sister's brown eyes.

"He likes you, and from the looks of it, you like him too." She said nonchalantly.

"No, I mean no. I- I barely know him. W-we just get along really well.&amp; Felicity stuttered, she was caught completely off-guard.

"C'mon little one, you're really going to tell me you don't see the way he looks at you. The way YOU look at him. You don't need to know someone to know you're attracted to them. Besides he seems relaxed around you. I've seen him around others, he's stiff and always on his guard. With you he relaxes. I know more than you think, little sister." Nyssa winked at her younger sibling.

Felicity could feel her cheeks warming up and knew that the horrid trait her mother left behind was showing up on her face. She hated blushing so easily. She was great at hiding her emotions, but embarrassment and nervousness weren't exactly easy to hide when her cheeks gave it away so easily.

"I listen to him. Like the others he has baggage he carries around. I... simply connect with him. I may not know him completely, but at the same time I feel like I do. He lost his mother and his sister. He feels lonely. I felt that way remember?"

"Yes I do. That is why I'm telling you this. Sometimes we can't control what our hearts feel." Nyssa said looking ahead to Sara.

Felicity followed her line of sight to look upon the blonde female that was trying to throw Oliver off balance.

"It's not going to happen Nyssa. Whatever it is between him and I, it's not going to happen. Father would never allow it."

"You never know little one. Father seems to really favor Oliver Queen."

Felicity didn't reply. There was something there. They had a connection, she felt gravitated towards him. From the moment she saw him she felt it. It was weird, something she had never experienced before.

Before she knew it Oliver had Sara pinned to the ground his Bokken pressed lightly on her throat.

Felicity felt a swell of pride for him.

"That really pisses me off!" Sara huffed getting up.

"Still can't beat me Sara, it's ok better luck next time!" Oliver teased.

Sara gave him a half-hearted glare and smacked him in the arm.

"You got a real gift Queen." Nyssa said. "Seems you're good at picking these fighting techniques quick. My father will be pleased to hear."

"Thank you." He answered.

"It's late we should head back and clean ourselves up for dinner. My father won't be returning until tomorrow, but you're more then welcome to join us Queen." Nyssa invited.

Oliver looked over at Felicity and she gave him a smile. "I'd love to."

Nyssa nodded, and Sara gave him and quick hug before following Nyssa out the door, both holding hands.

"Go get cleaned up Queen, I'll see you at dinner!" Felicity said.

Before he could answer she gave him a large smile and walked out the dojo.

Oliver returned to his room and went to go get freshened up. He was about to put on a fresh set of Shazoku garments but decided against it.

It had only been three days and he already missed wearing normal clothes. So he opted for a pair of cargos and a grey t-shirt. He hoped they wouldn't be offended by it.

He quickly made his way down to dinning hall and saw that Talia was the only one inside. He froze at the door, not knowing what to do. Then it was too late because the brunette had already seen him.

"Queen." She said practically spitting out his name.

"Talia." Oliver answered evenly.

"What are you standing there for? Come sit." She said, a hint of malice laced in her voice.

Oliver nodded he walked to the other side of the table across from her where he sat that same morning. Praying that Felicity, Sara, ANYONE would walk through that door.

He wasn't afraid of Talia, far from it, but she had him feeling widely uncomfortable. Frankly he had gone through enough shit lately and didn't feel like dealing with this.

"So Queen, my father seems to like you.&amp; She said her hands clasping in front of her with mock interest.

Oliver became annoyed. "Seems like you have a problem with that?" Oliver retaliated, lifting his brow in question.

Oliver saw Talia's vein on her forehead twitch.

The bitch was getting angry.

Felicity and Sara were right, she wasn't to be trusted. Talia leaned on the table giving Oliver a hard glare. "I'm warning you Queen, I don't like you. I have no idea why my father is putting his trust in you, or why my little naive of a sister is always around you. You're nothing speci-"

"Talia, I hope you're making our guest feel welcome?" Nyssa's voice echoed throughout the large room.

"Don't patronize me Nyssa, remember I'm older than you."

"Doesn't seem like it." Nyssa spit back. Talia grinded her teeth together and fisted her hands.

Oliver looked between the sisters. Nyssa like her father had more of a presence. It was easy to see who kept the eldest in check. Talia stood, the chair scraping against the stone floors loudly, and walked out of the room.

Nyssa waited till Talia was gone to address Oliver.

"Queen, Felicity asked me to let you know that she'd be having dinner in her tech room, said you could join her?"

Oliver nodded. Stood up and walked towards the door. "Sorry for my sister. She's a special one." Nyssa apologized before he left.

"Don't worry about it. I've had my fair share of people like her."

Nyssa only nodded, and Oliver excused himself.

He headed up the flight of stairs that lead to the small hallway where Felicity's tech room was.

He stood outside the wooden door, and took a large breath trying to remind himself to keep his feelings in check. He couldn't have a repeat of earlier today. He closed his eyes, counted to ten opened them up again, and knocked on the door and heard a soft. "Come in."

He opened it up and saw Felicity sitting in a chair, and much like him was wearing normal clothes. She had a pair of jeans and a green tank top on. He didn't know why but seeing her in that color did things to him. She still had her long hair down, and she was even wearing glasses. It was nice seeing her that way. Not that what she usually wore wasn't nice, but like this she seemed; less complicated.

She smiled up at him. "Seems we were of the same mind." She pointed to his clothes.

He looked down even though he knew what she was talking about. "Yeah, I uh kind of missed wearing normal clothes."

"Understandable, I feel the same way sometimes. Lucky for us father doesn't seem to mind, at least not during the evening."

"So I had dinner brought up for us. I hope this is ok? I thought that maybe you'd want to watch the tape? If you're not ready we can just go back down and eat dinner someplace else?"

Oliver grabbed the chair that was right beside her and scooted towards the computer screen where she was sitting. "No it's ok, we can watch."

He took another small breath, focusing on her. On the way she smelled, on how her slightly tanned skin made the green of her top look impossibly deep. He focused on the freckles on her face, and on her sapphire eyes that held such wisdom and lightness in them.

"Alright well here's your food." She reached over and handed him a large plate of meat with vegetables. It was weird being in this place and doing such mundane things sometimes.

"Thanks."

She quickly got to work retrieving the recorded tapes of all the cameras where Merlyn was bound to be during the day.

"The recording is at least seven hours long. We can fast forward through some of it. We know he's still in Starling but maybe we can find something out that could help us later on."

Oliver nodded. "Sounds good…"

She nodded pushing up her glasses with her fingers returning her attention to the screen. It was quiet for a few minutes, but for the thousandth time she needed to know how thankful he was.

"Felicity?"

"Hmmmm yeah?" She swiveled her chair to look at him.

"Thank you." That's all he had to say. He knew that she understood the unspoken gratitude under his thank you's.

She smiled. "You're welcome."

* * *

**So that chapter kind of got away from me! I hope yall don't mind that its like uber long. So there ya have it chapter 5, I hope you guys liked it!**

**Remember this IS an Olicity fanfic they WILL get together yall just have to be patient. I want their friendship and sexual tension to build.**

**Thanks again for all yalls love and support! I truly appreciate all of you! Let me know if yall liked the mixed POVs in the chapter? Do yall want me to keep doing that or keep it strictly Oliver's POV? If yall have any questions leave them in your review and I'll answer them in my next update!**

**Thanks again and please don't forget to REVIEW! Lots of love my darlings!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: *** PLEASE READ*** Oh my freaking goodness guys, first I want to apologize for this really, REALLY, late update. Guys I've been through a lot these past few months and I just didn't have the time to sit down and just write. So with that being said again I'm really sorry, but I'm back and with a new laptop I may add lol. Writing down 2k+ chapters on my phone was a pain…. Literally.**

**Ok so guys before we begin I want to say that ALL previous chapters have been revised and edited. I went back and changed a few things, did some spell check etc…. Now I'm no professional so you still might find a few typos and errors, but yeah so I'd HIGHLY suggest you go back and re-read the previous five chapters or else you might be lost on some new changes!**

**Real quick their ages:**

**Oliver:30**

**Felicity: 28 (wanted Felicity to be a little older)**

**Nyssa: 32**

**Talia: 34**

**Sara: 28**

**So yeah guys it's good to be back and well lets get started!**

* * *

_Previously on Heir to the Demon:_

_"The recording is at least seven hours long. We can fast forward through some of it. We know he's still in Starling but maybe we can find something out that could help us later on."_

_Oliver nodded. "Sounds good…"_

_She nodded pushing up her glasses with her fingers returning her attention to the screen. It was quiet for a few minutes, but for the thousandth time she needed to know how thankful he was._

_"Felicity?"_

_"Hmmmm yeah?" She swiveled her chair to look at him._

_"Thank you." That's all he had to say. He knew that she understood the unspoken gratitude under his thank you's._

_She smiled. "You're welcome."_

* * *

Three weeks had passed, and everyday Oliver got stronger and faster than he'd ever been. He thought after Hong Kong, after Lian Yu after Russia, he'd learned all that there was to learn. Being the 'Hood' he thought he was the toughest thing out there….

Boy was he wrong. It took Merlyn and this place to really humble him.

Ra's for the past three weeks had been praising him, showering him with this fatherly love, one Oliver admitted he missed. One he was a little skeptical in accepting at first, but eventually just let it be.

Felicity would tell him it's because as much as he loved his daughters, he'd always wished he'd had a son. A male heir, and apparently Oliver fit the bill.

'You're a fast learner my dear boy' Ra's said in one of their training sessions. He'd tell him how he was proud at how fast he was able to pick up all these new fighting techniques. Oliver in a matter of twenty-one days had picked up the Katana, and practically mastered it.

Oliver found that he actually really liked Nanda Parbat. Despite the constant training, whenever he had down time he and Felicity would go and visit the people living in the inhabited part of the city. They'd play with children, and he'd watch Felicity feed the hungry, just like a few weeks ago, when she'd given him a tour.

This place was nothing compared to the stories Malcolm told him. This ancient and mythological city was different, completely different.

He and Sara would also on occasion train, getting to know one another again, talking about what happened on the island, and afterwards. Although he didn't tell her everything, he was still keen on making sure that part of his life wasn't revealed to anyone, even his closest friends.

Talia still hated him, probably hated him even more. He'd always catch her side-eyeing him and Felicity. He just learned to ignore it.

Felicity; it was safe to say his sudden reaction to her didn't fade. If anything, his feelings, only got stronger. The tension between them grew; sexual tension. Her laughs mesmerized him. Her stubbornness, which he had found out about mesmerized him. Her strength and incredible intelligence also mesmerized him. He liked her. He'd finally admitted it to himself a while back.

They'd practice archery early in the mornings, and after dinner they'd go to her secret tech room and watch tape on Merlyn.

She was kind and funny, and sometimes made him forget about everything, which he'd grown to appreciate.

He'd occasionally see Tommy walking around Merlyn Global, and each time a pang to his heart would hit. He missed his friend, but he had a mission to do.

Which brought him to now, the day before Felicity and Oliver had found out that a man named Sebastian Blood was campaigning to become Mayor. He was all over the TV in Starling. This man was apparently loved by the people of Starling, particularly the people that lived in the Glades.

He seemed shady, both he and Felicity kept a close eye on him through surveillance camera's around the city.

Felicity continued to dig up whatever she could find about this man, and found out Merlyn was the one funding his campaign, which didn't add up.

This was the man that had leveled the Glades, killing thousands. Granted no one knew it was Merlyn that destroyed the Glades, no, everyone believed it was Moira Queen. After the earthquake, Malcolm had a press conference blaming his mother for the crime, tarnishing her name, AFTER he had sent her to the grave, and that made Oliver's blood boil.

He and Felicity had gone to Ra's and told him about what was happening, Ra's too felt a great suspicion, with this Blood guy, and Merlyn.

Now they all stood in a line at attention, waiting for Ra's. Felicity next to him, wearing her deep dark green leather suit. She wore tight leather pants with straps all along her shapely legs holding extra weapons. Her jacket was also leather with a hood and held together with leather strings in the front, her quiver strapped to her back, bow in hand much like him and Nyssa.

Oliver, wore the traditional league outfit, same as Merlyn's, but his was black and dark green. The way he and Felicity matched not lost on him.

He was no longer the 'vigilante', 'Hood', or "Emerald Archer'. He was known as 'Al Sah-Him'. He was The Arrow. Though Felicity always tells him he'd always be just Oliver to her, that always made him smile. He WAS still Oliver, just a different Oliver…. League Oliver.

His thoughts were broken when he heard the large stone doors behind them opening. They all stood still staring ahead.

Ra's walked in front of all five of them, quietly assessing them. His hands behind his back. His robe trailing on the floor behind him. Oliver watched the bearded, blue-eyed man.

He was in league mode, Oliver realized. This was the man he saw when attending to missions. The man Oliver had seen the first time he'd met him.

Ra's stopped walking and stood in front of them. "Sachiko and Al Sah-Him, have informed me of the new activity going on in Starling."

Ra's was serious. He'd used his name for Felicity and Oliver's new one.

"Merlyn is funding a man, who seems to be an advocate for the people of Starling. We know that Merlyn is the one behind the earthquake….."

Ra's paused, looking into everyone's eyes.

"So I need you five to head back to Starling. Tonight."

Oliver's eyes slightly widened. He wasn't ready for this.

Ra's noticed, and gave Oliver a knowing look.

"You all have two weeks. To gather information. This is strictly a reckon operation, no engaging." He emphasized, looking at Oliver.

"I need the upmost secrecy from all of you. Malcolm is no idiot, he will find out of your whereabouts, if not careful. Gather all you can and report back in a fortnight."

Ra's walked towards Nyssa at the other end. "You'll be in charge."

Oliver could heard Talia's small gasp.

"You and The Canary will be in charge of Merlyn. Gather all you can about him funding Sebastian Blood. Find out what he's up to."

"Yes father." Nyssa bowed, and so did Sara. "Alright, go prepare for your mission." He dismissed Nyssa and Sara.

He now moved towards Talia. Oliver could sense the tension in the room. She was pissed.

"Why is Nyssa in charge father?!" Talia hissed.

"For your lack of prudency, child. You are too unstable to lead these four. Don't think that I haven't noticed the way you've acted. You should feel lucky that I'm even allowing you to go." Ra's fired back, challenging her.

"I'm the oldest!" Talia defied.

"HUSH! I will not tolerate insubordination. You are powerful my child, but you lack wisdom. You will go and watch, anything you find out of the ordinary, you report to Nyssa."

Oliver could see from his peripheral, Talia was dangerously close to losing it.

"Understood?" Ra's asked.

Moments passed until Talia answered. "Yes father." She bit out.

"Good, you're dismissed."

Talia bowed and stormed out making a show of it.

Ra's sighed, Oliver saw him come towards him and Felicity.

"My Felicity…" He gave her a loving look, then turned to him also with a soft expression on his face. "My boy,"

Both Oliver and Felicity nodded in reply, waiting for his instructions. "I need you both to keep an eye on Sebastian Blood. Whatever it is that you've both found is big. Merlyn is up to something again."

Oliver fisted his hand.

Ra's noticed Oliver's body stiffen, and walked up to him placing a hand on his shoulder. Ra's looked deep into Oliver's eyes. "We will not let him destroy your city again Oliver. You have my word."

Oliver nodded, thankful. "I also have to ask you, not to engage with Malcolm. Stay as far away as you possibly can my boy. You are stronger, faster, yes but you are not done with your training. It will be hard controlling your emotions, but you NEED to. There will be a time, but this is not that time. You understand?" Ra's asked, but not with the same tone he used with Talia, but a much calmer softer one.

Oliver hated this, he wanted to go and make Merlyn pay.

It was no wonder Ra's had Sara and Nyssa in charge of Malcolm.

He knows, Ra's isn't a fool.

The moment he lays eyes on Merlyn his resolve could easily snap, but Ra's was right, the timing was off. He'd have to reel it in, as much as Oliver felt his heart burst with pure unadulterated hate for Malcolm Merlyn.

Oliver nodded, agreeing. Ra's pat Oliver on the shoulder. "Good. This is your first time out there, I have no doubt you will do great."

Ra's moved over to look at Felicity once again. "My Felicity, make sure you keep an eye on your sister. She's a loose canon. You're also in charge of communications, report back every night with new information if if necessary."

"Yes father." She said softly looking ahead.

"Good, now you're both dismissed. I will see you all in fourteen days."

Both Oliver and Felicity bowed and walked out of the large room and into the hallway.

They walked in silence for a bit, making their way over to the small training room they always went too. It took them less than fifteen minutes before they were in the familiar building.

Oliver walked over and sat down setting his bow beside him, they wouldn't have to leave for another hour. He felt Felicity sit next to him.

"You ok?"

Oliver turned to look at her. Her blue eyes holding real concern. "Yeah, I guess I'm just surprised by this. I didn't think I'd have to go back so soon."

Felicity placed her hand on his bicep, on the arm closest to hers. For the past three weeks, this had started happening more often. He'd noticed how touchy they both were with one another. He guessed it was the un-questionable chemistry they had. He gravitated towards her. He'd find himself up in her bubble constantly, whether they were practicing or in the tech room.

"My father wouldn't send you back this early, if he didn't think you were ready. To at least go back and get some information." She tried comforting him.

"The thing though, that I don't get, is that I'm not exactly the poster child for self-control. At least not when it comes to my emotions." He felt her hand squeeze his arm over his armor.

"Poster what?" She asked confused. He looked to see a really cute, look of confusion in her eyes. It made him smile. He forgot sometimes how different it was growing up here in the middle of nowhere.

"It just means that I'm not exactly an example of it." He laughed a bit, her expression making him feel a lot better.

She blushed and he couldn't help but stare at her. She was so beautiful and the red tint in her cheeks, only served to make her all the more gorgeous.

"Oh, well you have me Queen. I won't let you lose it. I promise, just like my father. We will stop Merlyn and you will avenge your family."

Oliver only smiled a bit and nodded. He didn't now how she did it but for the hundredth time, she tamed the beast within him.

They sat there in silence for a while, her hand still on his arm, except now she had wrapped it around. She was closer and he could smell how wonderful her scent was, even with all the leather she wore. Which speaking of….

"You do realize that we're kind of matching don't you?" He asked a lightness in his voice. She always brought it out of him.

He could feel her giggle. "Well I'm pretty sure I claimed the color before you did Queen."

"This is true, I don't mind though, green looks great on you." He flirted, and he didn't even care that it was the first time he'd outright done it in front of her. It was true she looked amazing in her gear, in that color, HIS color. THEIR color. Hair golden, blue eyes and adorable freckles, she was a sight for sore eyes.

He couldn't help but glance down at her, her eyes meeting his. The moment charged. He felt his breathing turn heavy, and her cheeks turning the same shade of pink as before. His eyes danced around her face, committing every curve to memory. The way her lips had a small part in the middle, or how her eyelids were hooded. Making her look mysterious, and her eyelashes looking endless. Or the dark blue outlining her iris's.

He felt her hand start to loosen, from its hold. "We have to go get ready." She suddenly said, abruptly and swiftly getting to her feet. "I'll see you in an hour Queen!" without another word she left him alone in the old dojo.

"What was that?" He asked himself out loud.

He was confused, they'd had another moment, albeit this one more tension filled than the others. He liked her, he'd already admitted it to himself, but did she feel the same?

She had too, he thought. There was no way it was one sided, as egotistical as that sounded. He could see it in her eyes he could feel it, they both had feelings for one another…. and if she did, like he was sure she did, then why did she run away?

* * *

Felicity hastily made her way back to the mansion. Her heart beating a mile a minute. He'd been so close. She could still feel the way his biceps felt under her tiny fingertips. The way his warm breath fanned her face, making her blush in return. The way his blue eyes looked at her, it had her feeling things she'd never felt before.

She had feelings for him, strong ones, but her father. She could never… her father would never allow it. Or would he?

She was beyond confused, the small training room was getting hot and she needed to make an escape. So now she was practically running towards her sister's room.

Once she made it, she'd stop only to pound at the door. "Nyssa!"

"Come in!" She heard the familiar voice of her older sister.

Felicity opened the door and walked into the room. She saw both Nyssa and Sara gather their stuff stuffing them into large black duffle bags.

"What's gotten into you little one?" Nyssa asked, at the suddenness of her sister's entrance.

"I-…." Felicity was at a loss for words. She looked over to Sara who seemed just as concerned as Nyssa.

She took a deep breath and walked deeper into the room and sat on a large red sofa. "I'm confused." She admitted.

She felt her sister kneel down in front of her, clasping her hands with hers. "With what little one?"

She looked up. "With Oliver."

She heard Sara gasp and turned to look at the blonde in black leather gear. Then the blonde came closer.

"Oh shit Felicity you have the face."

Felicity felt her face scrunch with confusion.

"You like him don't you?" She asked softly, standing behind Nyssa.

Felicity could only nod, looking down. She'd faced many dangers, she'd fought many fights, but Oliver Queen, scared the crap out of her.

Nyssa sighed. "I told you, you had feelings for him little one, since the beginning."

"Look I know, I- I was in denial. I had only known him for two days I didn't want to believe I could like someone that easily."

"Sometimes you can't help it Licity." Sara chimed.

"But I need too!" Felicity yelled getting up and pacing. "Father would never agree to this!"

"I'm not so sure he wouldn't Kabus Rami." Nyssa said seriously now, using Felicity's Arabic name.

"What do you mean?" Felicity stopped pacing.

"Come on, you know as well as I do that father favors Queen. You can't tell me you haven't noticed how father is around him?"

"Yeah I mean I've noticed, but that doesn't mean he'd just let me be with him! Besides I don't even know if Oliver feels the same!"

"You're twenty-eight years of age, and a trained assassin, yet you do not know the way Queen looks at you? I know you are smarter than that little one, besides it seems father finds ways to push you and Oliver together."

Felicity sighed. Now that it was being brought to her attention, she did start to realize since the beginning how her father always made sure her and Oliver were paired up.

"I see it in your eyes Felicity. I know you realize these things. You're no idiot. So now the question I ask why are you so afraid?" Nyssa asked standing in front of her sister.

Felicity thought about it.

"I- I don't know. This has never happened before."

"Then your problem is that you feel like you're not in control."

Felicity furrowed her eyebrows.

"This is all new to you. All you've known your whole life is this, this life of killing and training. You're afraid of the unknown."

"I'm not afraid. I just don't know how to go about this. What if I let myself feel, and all these things we thought about father are wrong, and he doesn't approve of me and Oliver…. hypothetically speaking."

"I'd say if you really feel something for this man, I'd go for it. It's worth it." Nyssa said her tone going soft and she turned to look at Sara.

Felicity smiled, she remembered when Nyssa had first told father about her and the Canary's relationship. He was livid at first, but grew to understand and accept it.

"Even if I do let myself; right now is not the time. We have to go through with the mission, no distractions." Felicity decided. That was why her father always sent her along, she was one of his best. Never let outside forces distract her.

"I made a promise to him, that I'd help him avenge his family, I can't let him be a distraction to me and vise versa."

Sara chuckled. "Don't worry, Ollie was never one to let a woman distract him from his goals, no matter how much he liked her. I think you should give it a try, and if you want to wait then that's your choice." Sara advised.

Felicity bit her lip and nodded. She didn't know what to do.

"Well I'll let you guys finish, I'll see you in a few." Felicity once again dismissed herself, heading towards her room. She'd have to think on this.

* * *

An hour later they were headed towards Starling. They were to land a few miles away from the city. Felicity had a tablet in her hands watching as the plane neared their destined coordinates. She tapped along trying to distract herself.

They were sitting side by side, her and Oliver. Nyssa and Sara across from them, every now and then giving them subtle knowing glances. Talia sitting up front with the pilot.

Things felt awkward. She hadn't said more than two words to Oliver since they boarded the plane. She was so out of her element, she felt like a child not knowing what to do or say.

It was easy talking to him, being near him, at least before they got all cozy in the old dojo. Hours before. Things hadn't been this charged between them, not until she decided it was a good idea to wrap her hand around his arm. She'd done it to comfort him, but the only thing she'd done was make things awkward.

"So where exactly are we staying during this mission?" Oliver's voice broke through the roar of the plane.

"We have a secret location inside the city." Nyssa answered.

She saw him nod. She needed to say something, the tension was killing her. Plus they had to work together.

"I'm sorry for storming out earlier." She whispered without even thinking what she was saying.

"It's ok."

She glanced up to see that his blue eyes were looking down at her with a weird expression on his face. The same electricity forming between them. His gaze was penetrating, yet soft. It was hard to look away.

She cleared her throat once again, trying to break the spell he had on her.

"Once we arrive it will still be before dawn. The city will be at it's quietest. I want all of you to make your rounds. Sara and I. Oliver and Felicity, and Talia by herself. Report back to our secret location at 7 a.m. sharp. Then we will rest up and plan afterwards. Talia knows what she needs to do. Felicity, Oliver you have the address to where Sebastian Blood works and lives?"

"Yes, I have them here." Felicity held up the tablet in her hands.

"Good, I expect you both to be very discreet and careful. Report to me after."

Both Oliver and Felicity just nodded.

Felicity was used to this, this she could handle. This she knew how to do, and how to react. She'd been trained her whole life for things like this.

Having feelings for a man, broken, and hurt. A man that was so dead set on getting revenge for his family. A man who drove her crazy with his presence, and took her breath away since the first time she saw him.

This she hadn't trained for.

* * *

**AHHH so that was long ok, few things. Felicity's outfit… think Thea's but green! And no eye mask, but a mask like Nyssa's, that covers her mouth. Ok so I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please don't forget to review let me know what yall thought, and any questions you have let me know in your reviews! Remember if you haven't re-read the previous chapters I advise that you do! Thanks again for reading my darlings until next time, lots of love!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys so I'm back with an early update, (trying to make up for lost time) this one's a lengthy one so hope yall don't mind.**

**So to "Highlander348": I promise, there will be a reward for your patience. Just got to wait a little bit longer for Olicity! And when the time comes I'll give you all the glorious Olicity lemons you want! ;)**

**To a "guest" reviewer: No Bruce won't show up in this story nor will Barry. Only because there would be too much going on I don't want to overwhelm the story then have major plot holes.**

* * *

_Previously on Heir to the Demon:_

_"Once we arrive it will still be before dawn. The city will be at it's quietest. I want all of you to make your rounds. Sara and I. Oliver and Felicity, and Talia by herself. Report back to our secret location at 7 a.m. sharp. Then we will rest up and plan afterwards. Talia knows what she needs to do. Felicity, Oliver you have the address to where Sebastian Blood works and lives?"_

_"Yes, I have them here." Felicity held up the tablet in her hands._

_"Good, I expect you both to be very discreet and careful. Report to me after."_

_Both Oliver and Felicity just nodded._

_Felicity was used to this, this she could handle. This she knew how to do, and how to react. She'd been trained her whole life for things like this._

_Having feelings for a man, broken, and hurt. A man that was so dead set on getting revenge for his family. A man who drove her crazy with his presence, and took her breath away since the first time she saw him._

_This she hadn't trained for._

* * *

Right after the plane had landed on the outskirts of Starling, both Oliver and Felicity made their way towards the city, everyone else going their separate ways.

Things were awkward to say the least. Felicity hadn't talked to him since they were back in Nanda Parbat. Sure she'd said a few words, but other than that he could feel her distance herself a bit.

It hurt him more than he'd like to admit, he really had no idea what had happened. He imagined it was because they got too close, but he knew deep down she felt the same. He was apprehensive though, he didn't know if he should talk to her about what happened. Ironic how before this, it was so easy telling her things. Now he was at a loss, because for the next fourteen days, they'd be working together.

They were now standing up on The Starling City Library rooftop, watching.

The night was cold, not many cars driving by, only the sounds of police sirens in the distance. It felt weird being back. He'd been gone a month and this place looked nothing like it used to. Trash everywhere, littered the roads. It looked like the Glades.

Oliver watching, reminisced on what happened after the undertaking.

The minute he had seen the Queen Mansion on fire he looked for Diggle and Tommy, said his goodbyes and then two days later left. His resolve to leave came quick. He couldn't handle it, couldn't handle being there anymore. Not after what happened, not where there would be a constant reminder of his failure.

He was crouched low, Felicity right beside him, her mask on, covering the bottom half of her face, and her hood on as well. She looked different like this. Dangerous. Mysterious.

There was never any doubt in his mind how strong she was. The moment he'd laid eyes on her he knew what she was capable of.

She was looking out into the small crevices of the buildings, the dark alleys. There were people there, sleeping. Crowded together for warmth. There was no doubt there'd be more, people like this living in the streets. After what happened in the Glades, those who survived must have migrated to the higher parts of Starling.

He felt a pang of guilt. This was in part his fault, he'd failed these poor people. He'd let Merlyn destroy their homes, kill their families. All coming from the actions of one man, because he was grieving the loss of his wife. One man destroyed thousandths, for the life of one.

"We need to be careful. Those people down there can't spot us, they'll think the Vigilante is back and it'll be all over the news." Oliver whispered into the night, a puff of hot breath visible in the cold weather.

She only nodded. "We need to go place these." Felicity whispered back, pulling out small looking device from one of her many leg pockets. "In all the places Sebastian could potentially spend his time."

Oliver looked down at her gloved hands and grabbed one of the little devices, inspecting it.

"What are these?" He asked.

"I made them myself, they're hearing devices. The cameras I hacked don't have audio. We need to hear any and all of his conversations."

"Ok so where do you suggest we go first?"

"City hall." Felicity said, her eyes scanning. "I hacked some of his files, he's an Alderman, he works for the city council. We need to get into his office and plant the bug. It's where we can possibly find out his and Merlyn's association."

Oliver gave a curt nod, stood up swiftly and made his way towards the north side of the library. He looked back to see Felicity looking down.

"There's no one here, we're clear." She whispered. Without a second glance she aimed her bow, grabbing a grappling arrow and swung out into the night disappearing, Oliver following.

They swung and jumped through the buildings avoiding any and all the homeless people. Avoiding any unwanted on-lookers.

This was the first time he'd seen Felicity in action, and it only served to remind him, that no matter how sweet and funny this girl was, she was also dangerous. Her Arabic moniker now making more sense. Her persona 'Phantom Archer' was dead on. A few times he'd thought he lost her, with how quick and silent she moved.

Training with the league he'd learned stealth, but nothing like that. She was too good.

Finally they made it to City Hall.

"If my calculations are correct Blood's office should be on the first floor… right over…. There." Felicity pointed down to a window.

Oliver scanned the area, no one in sight. The building had a few camera's up front, and a security man was most likely sitting up at the reception desk. He'd been inside City hall before; many times. "They have at least three securities, one inside at the front, the other patrolling, and one in the camera room." He said, informing her.

Felicity looked around. "I can turn off their security camera's for at least five minutes, before they start suspecting."

"Then we need to get in and get out, after the cameras go off they'll be checking all the offices, as part of protocol." Oliver added.

"Ok we go in, plant the bug then leave. There's a hatch above in the ceiling that leads down to the foyer of the building." Felicity said showing him a floor plan of City Hall. In truth That was something he'd never thought of doing before. Usually he'd just burst in scaring the shit out of the security guys. Not now though, things were different, they didn't want Malcolm to know they were back in town.

"We'll get in through there, and I'll put in the code hacking all the security camera's. The guy at the front desk will be called into the camera room. As soon as that happens follow suit as quietly, and as quickly as possible."

Oliver saw Felicity pull out a small tablet from her suit jacket, then she started tapping away at the screen he looked over her shoulder, she was doing some weird things with numbers.

He heard a clicking noise and looked to see her blue eyes on him. Her mouth still covered by her mask, much like him. She gave him a nod, signaling the go. He took another arrow out of his quiver and zip-lined towards the City hall roof, Felicity behind him.

He saw her remove her mask away and mouthing, 'Five minutes' reminding him. He nodded and saw her place her mask back.

He moved across the ceiling and saw the fire exit hatch she'd been talking about. Before jumping in he'd looked to see if there were any cameras. The moment he saw that the coast was clear, he moved in.

As covertly as possibly, just like the league had taught him, he jumped through the staircases going down. He made it to the foyer of city hall, landing behind the fat man, hidden so the man couldn't see them. He turned to look at Felicity, and she quickly looked down to her small tablet punching in the code.

Seconds later he heard the man's walky-talky, "Code 132, security cameras are down." The large man hastily got up from his chair, and walked towards the other side of the building, and into one of the many halls.

He turned to Felicity giving her the lead. With her bow in hand she made a beeline for the opposite hall the security guys had gone.

The halls were dimly lit allowing them to use the shadows in case they were compromised. Felicity ran ahead tablet in hand watching to see if any of the security men were near their location.

"This way." She whispered, she was so quiet he couldn't hear her feet touch the marble floors as she ran, it was almost as if she were gliding.

They ran checking every turn, making sure they wouldn't get caught. "Four minutes."

They stopped at wooden door that was password protected, and the nameplate reading 'Sebastian Blood, Councilman.' Felicity bent down and pulled out a cord connecting her tablet to the digital lock. She tapped quickly then he heard the door lock click.

Felicity quickly pulled out the cord and opened the door leading into Blood's office.

"We have three minutes now, look around a bit see if you find anything while I plant the bug."

He walked straight to Sebastian's desk, checking to see if any of his drawers were unlocked. He looked through some of the papers, mostly letters from people of Starling, petitions etc… this guy had pictures all along the walls.

Seemed the people really liked this man. This city is riddled with organized crime. Clean cut councilmen or business men didn't exist. Blood was up to something.

Oliver continued to look through his desk, but was startled when he saw a cut-up picture of Queen Consolidated on the newspaper. There was a headline above it.

**"With no more Queen heirs, and**

**Oliver the infamous playboy MIA,**

**Queen consolidated is up for grabs;**

**Hostile takeover in the horizon"**

He was dumbstruck. After the undertaking he'd made sure Walter was left as CEO of the company. None of this made sense, why would blood have only a cut out picture of QC? Hostile takeover? Did that mean that Walter was still fighting for the company?

_Damn_.

"Oliver!" He dropped the picture placing it back on the desk, when Felicity was suddenly in front of him. "One minute, we have to go. We can leave through the window."

He looked back down to the picture. He should've known things would only get more complicated with his absence.

"Oliver!" Felicity gripped his arm shaking him from his daze. "Let's go."

He moved away from the desk opening up the window, they were on the first floor and could just jump out.

The both landed on the concrete. He turned and closed the window making sure everything looked as normal as possible.

He needed to visit a friend.

* * *

They were now back atop of the City Library. Waiting till 7 a.m.

"Felicity you go ahead and head back to the secret location. I need to make a stop."

Felicity slapped her hand on Oliver's chest, stopping him. "I don't think so. You heard my father Oliver, we can't engage."

He looked down, towering over her. Her mask was down only her hood up, casting a shadow on her eyes, but even then could he see the way the moon made her blue eyes practically glow.

He sighed, he didn't know what to do. All he knew was he needed to go see Diggle.

"Oliver what's wrong?" Felicity's soft voice echoed through the night. Her hand much like in Nanda Parbat, moved so now she was holding his bicep firmly. "You've been acting weird since we got back from Blood's office. Is it that picture you saw?"

He moved away from her, her hand falling from his arm. He stood at the edge of the building. Watching his city. The city he had abandoned. The city his father died for.

"It was the headline on a newspaper. It was my family's company…."

He felt Felicity move behind him. She stayed a safe distance away just listening.

"After the undertaking happened, I fled. Came to Nanda Parbat. But before then I'd said my goodbyes to my friends. I'd also left the company in the hands of my ex step-father."

There was silence, so he continued.

"I thought leaving was the best thing I could do for this city after I had failed it, and my family. Thought that leaving the company in his hands things would eventually turn back to normal…. I should've known that after Malcolm slandered my mother's name, our investors would leave the company. That this city would be filled with more poverty and corruption than before."

Felicity walked beside him, and stood there mimicking his stance. "You keep doing this to yourself Oliver. I told you a while back…. You have to forgive yourself before you can avenge your family. No one can blame you for leaving. I'm sure your friends understand. You lost your family Oliver that isn't something someone can just get over."

"I don't know if you knew already, but I was only home for a year before the undertaking happened."

Oliver took a quick glance at Felicity and saw her turn at the same time, their eyes meeting. She shook her head.

"I'm surprised, I would've thought Sara might have said something." He turned his face back to look towards the city skylines.

"Sara never really talked about you, even when we were here on our previous mission. She'd never disclosed much about you, only that you were a great fighter."

"I was marooned on an island off the coast of China. My father and I were on vacation, I took Sara with me. Before all this Sara and I had a thing."

He heard Felicity take in a small breath.

"Sara has an older sister that I was dating at the time, I cheated on her, and didn't want to face her. She had our whole lives mapped out and it scared me. So I ran away. Like I did here. I ran away from my problems, because I couldn't face them…. And what did that earn me? Five years in hell." Oliver felt good telling her this, despite the earlier awkwardness things seemed to go back to normal. She'd always been able to make him feel at ease. Telling her countered the normal PTSD symptoms he'd get just from thinking about it. She made him feel…. Safe.

"You can't possibly believe these are the same circumstances Oliver. What that was 6 years ago, was a childish scheme to get away from commitment. You leaving Starling, coming to Nanda Parbat that is something completely different."

"How? I don't see a difference. I ran away then, I ran away now, and things seem bleak."

He felt his body being turned to look down at the small blonde. Her eyes held a dangerous determination in them.

"Listen Queen. You. Lost. Your. Family. Any normal person would've done the same thing, and packed up their bags. You don't get to blame yourself for something that was out of your hands. Stop being a martyr, stop blaming yourself. Sometimes things happen and there's nothing we could've done to stop it!"

Oliver was stunned, Felicity's eyes filled with tears, he'd never seen her so vulnerable. This strong and fierce warrior capable of making even the strongest men bend the knee, was shedding small, silent tears and it nearly broke him in half. He should've remembered…. Her mom. They shared a common pain.

He moved in closer and without even thinking twice cupped her cheek beneath her hood. There was a pregnant pause. He could feel the warm tears underneath his skin. His hand was completely encompassing her face. She was so small. He knew she was anything but fragile, but here in front of him was a girl he cared for more than he led on.

"Felicity." He whispered, pleading. He hated seeing girls cry, but he hated seeing her cry even more. He felt like a douche. Wallowing in self pity when, like him, she'd lost her mother too. The only difference was, she couldn't leave her problems behind.

"Hey, shhhh I'm sorry." He whispered getting closer to her. Her tears continued to fall, skimming his hands making the hairs on his arms stand from the cold breeze hitting his tear soaked hand.

His thumb lightly brushed over her cheekbone. This had been the closest they'd ever been. The way her skin felt under his was nothing short of electric. It was smooth and warm, and it made his fingertips tingle. He'd never felt this way before, and like all the times before, she made him forget.

He let her cry, it was obvious she needed to let stuff out. He just continued to hold her delicate face.

After a few minutes she stopped, she opened her eyes. They were red-rimmed, but in the moment she couldn't have looked more beautiful to him. He knew from the first moment he saw her, how screwed he'd be.

Without even realizing it, she had him wrapped around her little fingers.

She looked down, his hand falling from her face. He heard her sniffle. "I'm sorry Queen, I don't usually cry."

"Hey-" He said, earning her attention back to him. "It's ok. I'm an idiot ok, I should've k-"

"Look, Oliver it's ok. I cry because I miss her, and talking about family makes me remember. Don't blame yourself for this too. You're too hard on yourself. You wouldn't be avenging your family if deep down you really thought you were the blame. It was the actions of one man that lead to all of this."

She was right. He felt guilt, but deep down, deep, DEEP, down, the more logical voice in his head told him that he couldn't really blame himself. His mother and Thea, would beat his ass trying to get him to see that as well.

"Look as a league member, and the daughter of Ra's Al Ghul, from an early age I was trained to kill…"

"Have you ever killed Felicity?" Oliver asked interrupting, he'd always been curious.

She sighed. "Yes."

Oliver's eyes widened, he shouldn't really be all that surprised, she WAS Ra's daughter.

"Only once."

Oliver arched his brow in question, but stayed quiet.

"If you grew up in the league, it was kind of a right of passage to have your first kill."

Oliver flinched a bit at her tone of detachment.

"I was nineteen, when I was sent to Japan. My father wanted me to kill a mercenary from the Japanese mafia, he was involved in a human trafficking business. Selling young girls all over the world. It was sick and twisted. My father had always told us that what we did was seek justice. To kill bad men. He always said there was good and bad in all of us, but our choices are what made us who we are."

Oliver nodded agreeing. "So you killed him."

"Yeah, I went with a few of my father's ninjas, but ultimately I was the one that had to get the job done. I killed the man, because I thought I was doing the right thing. But then afterwards there was a feeling in my heart, like-"

"A piece of your soul was gone." He finished for her.

"Yeah, exactly. I hated the feeling. I didn't WANT to feel that way. After I came back home I talked to Nyssa I told her what it was I was feeling. I was feeling guilt. I remembered my mother, and how she would've disapproved of my actions. She loved my father, but hated his actions. My father like Merlyn was always blinded by rage and self-hatred, because his family was murdered. Because he felt like he had failed them. He didn't ever want to feel that helpless again, so he created the league. My father's intentions were honorable but he went about it the wrong way, much like Merlyn. He hated the fact that he couldn't save his wife, then decided to seek justice on everyone else."

"Then?" Oliver gulped a bit, Ra's story seemed all too familiar. The similarities between him, Ra's, and Malcolm made his skin crawl. He knew Ra's had lost his family, he'd told Oliver as much, but he'd never stopped to think about all this.

"Then, I vowed never to kill another human being again." She stated.

Oliver was once again stunned. "What about the league? Your father?"

"I only continue to be in the league for my father. I continued to train, to learn… I love him more than words can say, but he was right, actions are what make you the person you are. My sister Nyssa, no one knows, but she has taken on all of my burdens. I hate it, I tried stopping her, but she'd told me that she'd already been on multiple missions before, killed many people. She loved me enough to make sure my soul wouldn't darken the same way hers had. I fight, but I never kill."

She paused looking at him.

"That is why I tell you, I know how hard it is to stop from blaming yourself for the things that seem like your fault. That's why I beg that you forgive yourself. Because I've seen first hand what that guilt can bring. My father couldn't avenge his family so he feels he needs to do so for other's. It's twisted, his conviction."

"So what about the promise of helping me avenge my family?"

"I did promise you, I promised I'd help you get there, but ultimately…. What happens once you get there is up to you. There is more then one way to get revenge…."

Oliver took a big breath…. This was a lot to take in. She was telling him to find another way. Giving him the choice on whether he wanted to be just like Malcolm and her father. That's the thing, he didn't want to be like either of them. He admired Ra's the man had showed him compassion. Ra's was a good man, but did things for the wrong reasons. He'd helped Oliver get stronger.

"I don't know anymore…." Oliver sighed defeated, once again staring out into the distance.

He felt Felicity shift beside him. "Lucky for you, you have time to decide, what it is you want to do. To decide what type of person you want to be."

"But I've already killed many people."

"That maybe true, but there is such a thing as redemption."

Redemption…. After all these years that word seemed like just a dream. He'd been through hell and back, could he be worthy of that?

"Have you ever thought about leaving?" He asked.

"The league or Nanda Parbat in general?"

"Both."

"Yeah I have, many times. But if I did there would be no one or nothing for me."

Oliver wanted to deny that his heart broke a bit at her statement.

"You never know Felicity, there's literally anywhere you can go. If I'm not overstepping by saying this, I'm sure your mother would've wanted a life away from the league for you."

"I'm sure she would've too, but I don't know how I'd ask my father to just release me. He may be my father, but he is Ra's first when it comes to the league. Bound by duty."

"This is all so twisted isn't it?" He laughed, shaking his head.

"Yeah it is. But I guess that's life."

"Yeah…"

They stayed quiet for a few minutes. They had already made their rounds after going to City Hall, before coming back to the library rooftop.

"Do you still want to make that stop?" Felicity asked.

His head snapped to look at her. "You're serious?"

She nodded. "I trust that you're making the right decision."

He smiled, he literally, genuinely smiled.

"But I'm going with you, just in case." She added.

"Agreed."

* * *

It felt like years since he'd been here last. At his friends doorstop. They made sure that no one was around, before knocking on the door.

He looked back at Felicity, and she only raised her brows. He hoped he was doing the right thing, coming here.

The next second the door opened revealing his old friend. He saw Diggle's eyes widen, then look up and down, clearly surprised by the new suit. Then he saw his friends eyes travel behind him to the blonde.

"Oliver? Wha- what are you doing here, and looking like that?"

Oliver checked the hallway before addressing his friend. "Can we come in?"

Diggle stood there for a second, with sleepy eyes. Then he opened his door wider letting them in.

Oliver moved to the familiar living room. He stopped by the coffee table, felicity beside him. He waited for Digg who looked lost.

"Oliver what the hell are you doing back here? And at this hour I may add."

"Digg, this is Felicity Al Ghul, Felicity this is John Diggle." Oliver introduced them before anything else.

Oliver saw Diggle's eye widen. "Wait. Al Ghul? As in Ra's Al Ghul?" He asked with disbelief.

"Correct." She answered.

Digg shook his head running his hand over his face. "Oliver you didn't. You joined the league? What were you thinking? When you said goodbye I thought you'd go somewhere where you could find peace, find happiness. Not a place where they'd only teach you more killing!"

Oliver stepped up to his friend only a foot shorter than him. "Look you don't understand Diggle, Malcolm he KILLED them, and he's out their running free! John that was my family! You know I have to get revenge! You'd do the same for Andy!"

There was a second after Oliver uttered those words that you could feel the air being sucked out of the room.

"We're not talking about this anymore Oliver. What are you doing in my house?"

Oliver took a step back and placed his hands on his hips. "I need your help John."

"With what?"

"Malcolm."

'Look I t-"

"Digg, he's up to something again. This is about my family yes, in part, but it's about the city too. Have you heard of this guy named Sebastian Blood? Councilman running for Mayor?"

"Yeah he's all over the news, big in the Glades. Seems to be a good guy helping out."

"Seems that way, Digg Malcolm is funding his campaign. Why would the man that leveled the Glades want to help rebuild it? Why does he want Blood in office? Not only that but we found a picture of QC on his desk. Hostile take over?" Oliver asked his voice raising with every word.

"That does seem fishy. And QC? I thought Walter was in charge? Why the hostile takeover? By the way how did you find this all out, if you were in the middle of no where?"

"Felicity, she's a bit of a tech genius. That's not the point, the point is that Malcolm and this Blood character are up to something. No politician or businessman that isn't Walter is a perfect citizen of Starling. Speaking of Walter that's what I need your help with…. I need daylight eye's and ears at QC, and Merlyn Global. We're trying to figure things out but Malcolm can't know we're back here."

"So you want me to make a visit to QC see what's going on?"

"Yes, I'd appreciate that. We got Malcolm and Blood covered… and if you can talk to Tommy. But don't tell him I'm back. You're the only one that knows."

Digg bit his lip, contemplating. Oliver knew that face well. "Alright, but one thing, how exactly will I get back to you?"

"Yo-"

"You can send me a private message, here." Felicity interrupted, showing Diggle something on her small tablet, practically the size of a phone.

"I've coded the address, so no one can trace the message to either me or you. Think of it as a ghost message." She sounded a bit proud of herself.

Oliver smirked with pride, and saw that Diggle had an impressed look on his face.

"Thank you Digg."

"No problem. I missed you man."

"Me too…. But I'll talk to you soon, I have to get going. Whatever you do don't get yourself into trouble."

Digg smirked. "Speak for yourself." He said eyeing Felicity, giving Oliver a knowing look. Oliver's eyes widened, then turned into a glare.

"We have to get going, but I'll see you soon." Without another word Oliver and Felicity walked towards the fire escape and left, heading back out into the City.

* * *

**Yay! We saw Digg! Ok guys hoped you liked this chapter! Leave a review, let me know what yall thought! Thanks again for reading, love you all!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Guys I'm back with another chapter! Yay! So I'm like really excited about season 4! Olicity and the ring, and them being a team, and living together is like a fan girl dream! I'm just so excited! **

**Anyways just wanted to say thanks again for your continued support and I really liked what you all had to say about Felicity not really being the killer she made Oliver believe at first.**

**So to that topic, yes I wanted Felicity to be badass, but I wanted to keep her light. I wanted Oliver to have a form of light, just like in the show. Her not being a killer doesn't make her any less badass…. No one but Oliver and Nyssa know this. Her father thinks she's still acting out her assassin duties. Just cause she doesn't kill doesn't mean she won't give someone a can of whoop ass!**

**Anyways I hope that cleared some things for you guys. Thanks again for all you lovely people! Enjoy chapter 8!**

* * *

**Talia POV**

Sitting in the passenger seat of the airplane, she looked downward into the night. Starling city only a few miles ahead, the sound of the turbines constant. She stayed quiet, thinking, while the other's were in the back.

She couldn't stand the sight of her little sister and Queen together. She already had to deal with one annoying brat, she didn't want to deal with another. Her father was a sick son of a bitch, putting Nyssa in charge.

She was the heir, the eldest, yet her father treated her like the low-life scum that lived inside the walls of Nanda Parbat. All because of the little bitch she called sister. Ever since her father met Emilia, Talia knew things were never going to be the same.

He had fallen in love with Felicity's mother, only a few years after her own mother died. Bringing a new woman into their home then having that brat of a sister. Her father's attention leaving her, for her younger sibling.

Nyssa; she was the worst traitor of all. They shared the same mother and father, yet she had taken a liking to Emilia.

All Talia could say was she was happy the day that bitch died. Leaving poor Felicity to fend for herself. Or so she thought. Turned out her father had made the decision of personally training Felicity, something he never did for her. He'd had his ninjas teach her. Not to mention Nyssa acting like Felicity's mother, helping her, consoling her.

They thought she didn't know… after the eve of Felicity's first kill… how she had overhead their conversation. The prodigal daughter, wasn't cut out to be a killer. So she had her sister do her dirty work for her. Sure Nyssa offered, but it made it all the more fun knowing that Ra's lovely Felicity wasn't the killer he'd hoped she would be. She was just as pathetic as her mother was.

The only reason she didn't go telling her father, was because she was biding her time. Now more than ever, she wanted her revenge.

Queen an outsider, a stranger…. Came into her city and her father once again took it to himself to train him. He had trained Felicity, Merlyn and now Queen, but never her? It infuriated her, made her blood boil. To make things more sickening, her little sister fell in love with the green vigilante; how poetic.

It made her sick.

But they didn't know what was coming to them. She wasn't going to let this continue. She knew, Oliver's biggest weakness…. Merlyn. Her father shouldn't have sent her because now she had a means to an end. Talia smiled cynically to herself.

"Talia, we've arrived." Nyssa called out from behind her. She rolled her eyes and stood from her seat. The large door opened into a field. It was the private landing spot every time they came to this horrid city. Only a few miles away from the city.

She saw that both Queen and her sister were off to the side talking, and Nyssa with the pilot.

Talia stood there, glaring. She hated them, hated them with the fire of a thousand suns… and she didn't do a thing to hide it from them. They'd never suspect a thing from her though. To them, her angry scowls and harsh words were that of an over-assertive sister, never capable of going against blood.

After a few minutes of giving cold stares her younger sister stood in the middle of the group. Talia folder her arms waiting to hear from the traitor, still pissed her father put her in charge.

"We have fourteen days in the city, gather all the information you can, go out only during the night. We don't want to alert any chance of Malcolm finding out we're here. Remember this is all strictly recon."

Nyssa walked up to Felicity and Oliver. "We have time, scout the city, do what you need to do, and meet us in the location before dawn." She ordered, both Felicity and Oliver bowed agreeing, then running off towards the city.

Then Nyssa turned to her, and even in the night with only the glow of the moon, saw the hard look in her sister's eyes. "Talia, father told you what to do. I trust that you come back with any type of information we need."

Talia still had her arms folded in front of her and scoffed loudly. "I still don't understand why father let the likes of you be in charge." She spat, her arms falling to her sides and getting in her sister's face.

Nyssa didn't flinch she stayed still. "What has twisted your mind sister? Do you not realize that you are going to lose favor with father if you continue to act up like this?"

"I lost favor the day that brat was born!" Talia said maliciously, teeth clenching, fists balling up.

"You are truly sick, she was a child! Father loves you Talia, but your attitude and impulsive actions blind you from seeing the harm you are doing to yourself!" Nyssa nearly screamed.

Talia's eyes quickly scanned the field only to see the blonde hair of the Canary a few steps behind Nyssa, her hands poised on her metal stick.

Talia smirked, she looked down to see her sister's hand on the handle of her blade. She raised a brow challenging. "What are you going to do, kill me sister?"

"Don't test my patience Talia, you may be older, but you are not in charge here. Do what it is you need to do." Nyssa said, her hand coming off her blade, turning away towards the Canary and walking in the same direction Felicity and Queen had left.

Talia was pissed…. She was not going to tolerate anyone talking her that way. They would regret the day they underestimated Talia Al Ghul.

* * *

Talia made her way through the city, passed all the buildings, hiding from the eyes of the annoying people in the streets. She had to cross the city to get where she was going.

Just as she crossed the outskirts of the city, she came to a stop when she made it in front of the house she knew had what she needed. She'd been here many times before on her last mission to Starling. Her job was to keep an eye on the man.

She walked up to the gate, a few guards standing there. How ironic, that the man thought he needed more protection. She slowly walked up behind the first guard, cupped his mouth to muffle his scream, and quickly, pulled a small dart from her gear and plunged it into his neck; the man automatically falling to the ground with a loud thud.

She turned to see the other man with a gun in hand pointing it towards her.

"Move and I shoot."

She laughed.

"I'm serious." The man said his voice shaking, just as much as his hands were.

She fake yawned, she was growing bored. It was so hard to find a challenge these days.

She quickly grabbed another dart and threw it with clear precision onto the mans neck, much like before.

She rolled her eyes and climbed up the black metal gate, she walked around the mansion, heading towards the courtyard that would lead her to the room she was looking for.

In truth she didn't have to tranquilize the guards, but she was bored. She only had a few minutes before surely Sara and Nyssa came here, so she had to be quick.

She looked around and walked to the familiar door that led to her destination. She opened it... typical, she thought, of course he wouldn't lock it.

Once inside she felt the cold metal of a blade against her throat. "What are you doing here?" The male voice spoke into the darkened room.

She laughed. "I'm on official business, now are you going to remove the blade, and greet me properly? I only have a few minutes."

She felt the pressure of the offending metal leave her skin, and her eyes quickly adjusting when the room was lit. Then she was looking straight into the blue and malicious eyes of Malcolm Merlyn.

She smiled vindictively, and made her way towards the leather couch across from him. She sat down crossing her legs, making herself at home. Malcolm stood in the same place as before, looking at her.

"You know, I'm surprised you stayed here after the city was destroyed…. Killing Queen's family nice touch I may add. I'm glad I didn't tell father or my sister's your plan. Poor things were running around like headless chickens trying to find out what it was you were planning." Talia said, her lips pursed amused. "So bravo! You accomplished what you wanted!" she clapped unceremoniously.

Malcolm rolled his eyes and started pacing, then stopped at his home-bar grabbing two glasses and pouring brown liquid into them. He turned back handing her a glass. "Yes well, this city is still littered with criminals, seems the quake wasn't enough, my job isn't done here... I've recently made an investment, I guess you could say." Malcolm said drinking from his glass.

"I know; which is why I'm here. Father sent us all, found out what you are doing with Mr. Blood, is it? Yes well, when I covered for you I hoped you would take it a sign of good faith. I want my revenge. I thought I only had to deal with my father and Felicity, but it seems there's another unexpected player that entered my board." Talia said, swirling the glass in her hand the brown liquid creating a small whirlpool, the sound of the ice clinking against the glass.

Malcolm stopped pacing, and stood still waiting for her to talk again. "Who?"

"Queen." She saw Malcolm's eyes widen.

"He joined the league and much like he did with you, father took a liking to him. They want to kill you, Queen wants his revenge, and father is helping him."

Malcolm's eyes became wild, he slammed his glass on the desk of his private library.

Talia grinned, she stood up glass in hand and stood behind Malcolm. "I'm here to tell you, that he's here in the city. I'm sure father told him not to engage with you. As far as they know I'm somewhere around the city gathering information." She said her voice toned with a sarcastic, sweet pitch. Then her face grew serious and her voice dropped a few octaves. "I need your help. This could be a nice partnership." She suggested, seriously.

Malcolm's body turned, then he was looking down at her. "You want me to help you kill your sister?"

Talia nodded. "And my father. Tell me what you're planning, with the information I will be able to navigate through the things they find out. I'll manipulate the situation."

Malcolm laughed. "You really think I'm going to tell you my plans? Just like that? Why should I trust you?" He said getting in her face.

Talia's free hand clenched. "Because I could have easily told my father what you were planning, but I let it happen. I let you get your revenge….so now you will help me…."

"Or else what, you have no leverage. The moment they find out you helped me, they'll kill you." He challenged.

"Or else, I won't give you the knowledge that I will retain from being inside this little group. You'll be blind, when it comes to the league… and if there is anyone that can stop you, it's my father. You need me." She said confidently.

Malcolm gave her a cold look, his eyes contemplating. "Fine I'll let you in, but don't underestimate me Talia Al Ghul, I will kill you the moment you betray me."

She smiled. "Cross my heart Merlyn."

He walked away and towards his desk. She saw him punch in a few numbers into a pad and heard the click of a lock. She saw him take three different folders out, laying them on the desk. She set her glass to the side and looked down into the papers inside the folders. She saw profiles. "Sebastian Blood." "Isabel Rochev." "Slade Wilson." She whispered, out loud her eyes canning through their information.

She looked up to meet his gaze, her brow raising in question. He sat down on his chair, crossing his fingers together, his elbows on the arm rest.

"They're my plan."

"Elaborate."

"This man." He said tapping on the picture of a bearded man with an eye-patch. "He knew Oliver Queen, trained him in fact. Turns out Queen was responsible for his lovers death. He wants revenge."

"Why? Surely he knows Queen isn't in Starling….. unless he doesn't."

"Precisely." Malcolm chuckled.

"So what? You're playing Slade, told him Queen is still here. What can this man help you with?" She questioned, now sitting on the wooden desk.

"He has this, ability. He's strong. Stronger than any normal human being. He has the ability to make more people like him. It was a science experiment to turn humans into weapons, called 'Mirakuro' He has the recipe, together we're making an army. I provide the people and the chance for revenge and he provides… well everything else."

Talia was impressed. "Ok so super-human army. I like it, but why do you need Blood?"

"Give the people a sense of security. The people of this city know my company was involved in the Undertaking, they just don't know that I was the master-mind behind it. It's why I killed Moira, before she had the chance to tell the people who was responsible. If I give them a candidate who can inspire the masses, and help fund that candidate, they'll trust me. I need them to trust me. Not only do I want this city to die, but I want Oliver to die along with it. I knew he'd left, didn't think he'd go to your father… but I knew he would somehow hear about me being here, and he'd come back. Killing his family isn't enough for me. He turned my own son against me, not to mention the fact that he almost ruined my plan."

"And this Rochev character?"

"She's part of Slade's army. She's going undercover at Queen Consolidated. It's another way for me to get revenge, by destroying the Queen legacy. She's part of a hostile take-over, and in turn she'll receive rights to the company, letting us use the applied-sciences department to duplicate the recipe and create more human-weapons."

"Seems you have everything planned out."

"So you want me to help kill your father and sister. How exactly do you want me to do that? Without compromising my goals?" He asked.

"Easy; you let them find out exactly what it is you're planning. They'll come back with an army… father in tow."

"How is that going to help?"

"Don't be narrow-minded, you're smarter than that. The moment they make it back in the city you unleash your army. If what you say is correct, mere humans with training won't hold against an army of super-humans."

"Okay, go on…."

"Then you, Slade, and I will corner them. You'll kill Queen and I'll kill the people who have wronged me. But in the meantime, I will go back with them, and report to you everything I can. How much time would you need?"

"At least two months."

"Perfect. We leave in a fortnight. Let them find out, then we wait for them to take the bait."

"You're vindictive aren't you? All those years in Nanda Parbat I always knew you were the bad apple of the bunch."

She sighed. "Yes well father left me no choice…. I'm the rightful heir, and at this point he'd give that right to Felicity, or worse Oliver. Anyways I must go, my sister and The Canary are bound to pay you a visit any moment now. Remember lay the bait, gradually. They have eyes everywhere, let something slip-up, they'll see it. I shall keep in contact." Talia hopped off the desk and went straight for the doubled-doors that led to the courtyard.

"By the way your guards are terrible. Hopefully they wake up soon." She interjected walking out of the house without a single word, and into the night.

* * *

**Oliver POV**

"So that was your friend?" He heard Felicity mutter from beside him. They still had a few minutes before dawn and they'd decided to go straight to the secret location. It was a seemingly old and abandoned town-house inside the city. The inside though looked in better shape than the outside.

Upon arriving they had put up all their gear and were now sitting in the living room couch waiting. Neither Nyssa, Sara, or Talia had made it back yet.

Felicity had her tablet in hand, while he just sat there sharpening some arrows and his Katana blade on the coffee table.

He stopped what he was doing when she asked him the question, to see that she was staring at him. Her blue eyes curious. Ever since she told him the truth, about her really not being a killer; he saw her in a different light. Up until tonight he'd truly thought she was like the rest of them, in terms of her occupancy. She alluded to still being one of them…but truth was… she had walls just like him. The fact that she trusted him enough to tell him what only a few knew, made him swell with a feeling of pride and something else he couldn't identify.

Sure before he always saw an innocence there, never really believed she was as cold-hearted as the rest of them. And yes she was still a bad-ass capable of killing, but she didn't, and that made all the difference.

He'd wished that his guilt were enough to stop him from taking lives. Like now when revenge was clouding his mind twenty-four-seven, and especially now more than ever being back in Starling. She said, she'd help him get where he needed to go, but the choice to take another man's life was his decision.

"Oliver?"

"Hmmm? Yeah- uh sorry." He answered, he must have zoned out.

"I was talking about Mr. Diggle. He seems nice." She commented laying her tablet on the coffee table next to where his arrows were.

Oliver smiled, the gesture not surprising him anymore; at least not around her. "Yeah, he's a great friend….more like my brother in many ways. He was always there for me. For the longest time, just like you and Nyssa… he was the only one that really knew the real me." He said, his hands playing with a dull arrow head between his fingers.

"Well I'm glad you had him as a confidante. It's nice to have someone who understands and listens to you." She said. Their eyes meeting for a fleeting moment.

The sun was in the process of rising, so everything around them was bright and vibrant with color. The city was starting to come to life outside. He could hear cars being turned on, the sounds of tires against the concrete, the soft chirps of the birds, and the distant barks of dogs.

He looked at her, really looked at her. She was different here. In Nanda Parbat she seemed like a dream, like she was unattainable. Here in his city she seemed real. Maybe it was because of the aura of mystery and magic in Nanda Parbat.

Her eyes were so bright, her hair like a golden halo. She was gorgeous, he thought so from the moment he'd met her. His fingertips itched to touch her soft skin, like he had a little over an hour ago. When she cried over her mother's memory. When he'd caressed her cheek trying to sooth and comfort her.

She was a strong woman, and he loved that about her. She was also vulnerable and hurt. He couldn't deny that he liked her, a lot. If he was being honest with himself, he could even admit to falling for her, and fast.

She gave him peace when no one had ever been able to achieve that. She was strong, always putting him in his place when he was out of line. She was stunning. She was incredibly intelligent, making him feel like an idiot sometimes, but that was ok because he liked that she was smart. She was fierce, and most importantly she was kind-hearted.

Always found a way to make him smile or laugh. In the midst of all the chaos. In the middle of his mourning and grief, his pain, and thirst for revenge, she was a light that he never realized he needed. He needed to be honest with her. He realized the timing was way off, but he needed to tell her, the line between them was being blurred anyways. He felt like if he continued to hold it in, he might implode, and he couldn't keep another overwhelming emotion take over.

He looked down to where her hands were, and without a second thought he took them into his. He heard her small gasp of surprise. Her hands were warm and tiny and a bit calloused from wielding weapons all her life, but he didn't mind one bit.

He moved closer, his body now at an angle looking into her blue depths.

"Felicity." He whispered….

He saw her look down at their joined hands, he could hear the thundering pumps of his heart beat echoing through his ears. He could feel her heart beat at her pulse, going wild as well.

"Yes?" She said, her eyes now on him again. Her teeth biting down on her bottom lip. He wanted so bad to be the one to do that. He brought one hand up and gently tugged at her lip, releasing it.

He could feel her hot breath ghosting over his hand, the moment she let her bottom lip go. It raised goosebumps on his skin.

He moved his hand back down to grab her hand again.

"I don't think I can continue doing this with you-"

"What do you mean?" He saw her eyes grow slightly weary.

He squeezed her hands, as a form of reassurance. "You feel it right? This thing between us…." He asked cautiously. He knew the answer, he saw it in her eyes before he even finished.

She nodded.

"I've known you for only a few weeks, but in that short amount of time you've made me feel things that no one has ever been able to make me feel. Despite my thirst and desire to get back at Merlyn, despite my sadness…. You've somehow found a way to make me laugh and smile again. Me a broken man." He confessed, laying down his heart. Something he'd never do. Something that was so out of character for him, yet here he was. Spilling his guts to the daughter of the most dangerous man alive.

"I know the timing is off and this is so sudden, but I needed to tell you. Because there are so many things going on up here." He pointed to his head, and she laughed. "That this was something that I needed to tell you because, I don't want to hold onto more emotions that I can't control."

He stopped took a deep breath and looked at her. Her eyes were wide in wonderment. She didn't look scared or put off, just curious.

Then she did something he wasn't expecting. She pulled a hand away from his grasp and placed it on his cheek. Her fingers lightly scratching the stubble there, making his eyes close.

Her touch was comforting. It was electrifying, and one simple touch was enough to render him completely useless. She had the power to really mess him up, he realized. But that didn't scare him, it only fueled his feelings for her.

Her fingers continued to scratch lightly, her other hand still in his grasp. He opened his eyes and saw that she had a smile plastered on her face. He stayed quiet waiting for her to say something.

"Queen, who would've thought that the two of us would be so susceptible to the matters of the heart."

He chuckled. She was right…. If anything their experiences should've shut that part of themselves out. She wasn't a real assassin, but she trained like one, lived with them…. The way she lived her life, it should've at least hardened her to this type of stuff, and the same went to him.

"But, the fact that we haven't let our experiences and short-comings stop us from feeling; that just means that we're stronger than we thought." She said, her fingertips now gently skimming the skin of his neck, and lightly tapping his collarbone. His eyes wanted to roll back from the sensations her skin on his was creating.

She continued. "If I'm being honest…. I feel the same way. I don't know WHAT exactly it is I'm feeling, but I feel it. So much. You overwhelm me, confuse me in the best way possible. I've felt it from the moment you looked at me." She whispered.

He glanced down to her lips, her inviting rosy pink lips. He wanted so bad to taste her, to know what it felt like to be connected to her. If she could make him feel a million different things just by touching and looking at him, he didn't know what he would feel actually kissing her, holding her tight against his body.

He looked back up to her eyes to see that she too was staring at his lips, their faces were closer now, the breath between them mixing. Making their surroundings blur in the background….he could hear her quiet intakes of breath, her fingertips on his neck stilled, his hand still holding onto her.

He looked back down to her lips, he leaned in-

"Felicity? Oliver?"

There trance was broken and the two separated as if a jolt of electricity had hit them. Both going to the respective ends of the couch.

He mentally slapped himself he almost got caught, by Felicity's older sister. What a high school thing to happen, but now things were out in the open between them… hopefully they'd be able to continue later. He just gave her a small smile and gave her a look that said 'we'll talk later'. She just returned the smile, and yelled that they were in the living room.

"What time did you two get back?" Nyssa asked removing her gear, Sara behind her doing the same.

"Like an hour ago." Felicity answered. "Why were you too out so long?"

Nyssa huffed and sat down across from Felicity and Oliver.

"We went to Merlyn Global… nothing out of the ordinary. So we went to his house….seems like Talia got there before us. Two guards were tranquilized." She said an edge to her voice.

Oliver turned to look at Felicity, she had the same skeptical look that was mirrored on the other two women in the room.

"What was she doing at Merlyn's? Oliver questioned.

"Have no idea, she was supposed to scout the city. I don't doubt that my sister wanted to act in charge so she took on my responsibility." Nyssa said leaning back on the chair looking out the window. She began biting her lips, an Sara sat there quietly.

Things felt eerie. It was now daylight the sun had finished rising, and yet Talia was the only one missing.

Something didn't seem right, and they all knew it.

* * *

Y**AY! Chapter 8! Ok so this one was a lengthy one, hope you guys enjoyed this! And Oliver finally said something! I know seemed out of place but I think our poor Oliver has always been emotionally challenged… and he needed to express his feelings which are totally reciprocated. Anyways hope you guys enjoyed and leave me a review tell me how I did, what you loved, hated, or what you're looking forwards too! Love yall! Until next time!**


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